Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or Scheme (MGNREGA), 2005 PDF
The National Rural Employment Bill was passed by Parliament on September 7, 2005, to enhance the livelihood security of people living in rural areas. It has provided a fair opportunity to earn their own income without any discrimination of caste or gender. It secured President assent later in 2005 itself and became an Act. This act is proposed first of all by P.V. Narasimha Rao in 1991.
- The Act provides for at least 100 days of employment to one able bodied person in every rural household every year. So it is also called MGNREGA/ NREGA 100 Days Job Guarantee Scheme.
- The Act (NREGA) came into force Feb 2, 2006. Initially 200 districts have been selected for the enforcement of the scheme.
- The Central Government and the State Government bear 75 % and 25 % of the cost of material, wages of skilled and semi-skilled workers.
- The Government has extended the NREGA to 654 districts of the country. This scheme has been provided a sum of Rs. 34,699 crore for the year 2015-16.
- Government of India, October 2, 2009 renamed the NREGA as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
- It is also known as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
- Rs. 1,65,500 crore has been allocated for MGNREGA for the 12th plan(2012-17).
- Kangra, Himachal Pradesh became the first district in the country to geotag all the assets created under the MGNREGA.
Eligibility to get benefits under the Scheme
1. Under the Scheme, One third of the stipulated work force must be women.
2. It pays women the same as men: This scheme provides employment to women.
3. It is available to every rural household whose adult members are willing to do unskilled manual work at a minimum wage rate.
4. MGNREGA is also inclusive- with higher participation of women, SC and ST.
Features of the Employment Guarantee Act
1. Every household in rural India will have a right to at least 100 days of guaranteed employment every year for at least one adult member.
2. The employment will be in the form of of causal manner labour at a statutory minimum wages, and the wages shall be paid within 7 days of the week during which work was done.
3. Work should be provided within 15 days of demanding it, and the work should be located within 15 km distance.
4. If work is not provided to anybody within the given time, he / she will be paid a daily unemployment allowance, which will be atleast one third of the minimum wages.
5. Workers employed on public works will be entitiled to medical treatment and hospitalization in case of injury at work, along with a daily allowance of not less than half half of the statutory minimum wages.
6. In case of death or disability of a worker, an ex- gratia payment shall be made to his legal heirs as per the provision of the Workmen Compensation act.
7. Work site facilities such as drinking water, first aid etc. should be provided.
8. For non-compliance with the rules, strict penalties have been laid down.
9. The Gram Sabha will monitor the work of the Gram Panchayat by way of social audit.
10. The District Collector / Chief Executive Officer will be responsible for the programme at the district level.
11. For transparency and accountability, all accounts and records of the programme will be made available for public scrutiny.
12. More than 64 % of the works is linked to agriculture and allied activities.
13. Recently, The Central Government decided to permit an additional 50 days in drought-hit areas.
14. The work is usually on projects to build durable assets like roads, canals, wells and ponds.
15. The average wage per day per person in 2016-17 was Rs. 161 /-.
16. Every year the Government allocates Rs 30,000-40,000 crore to MGNREGA.
17. It require online recording and monitoring of assets to check leakage and for effective mapping of resources and their location details for future development works.
Benefits of the MGNREGA
1. Each year around five crore people from rural areas are employed by MGNREGA.
2. Around 182 million beneficiaries(15 %) are provided social security.
3. 26.19 lakhs more households have completed 81-91 days of employment.
4. As on 12th January 2016, around 15.54 lakhs of household have completed 100 days of employment.
5. Improved education for children in MGNREGA households.
6. Financial inclusion of poor household
7. Payments are mostly by way of direct transfer into beneficiary accounts.
Focus on public works under the MGNREGA
There are 155 kinds of works comes into the MGNREGA. These are scheduled with category A, B, C and D to be an act.
1. Category A. relating to natural resources management such as Water conservation and Water harvesting structures, Watershed management, micro and minor irrigation works, renovation of traditional water bodies, tree plantation and Land development works in common land.
2. Category B. relating to individual assets for vulnerable sections such as Development of fallow or waste lands, Creating infrastructure for promotion of fisheries, Improving productivity of lands, by providing suitable infrastructure for irrigation.
3. Category C. relating to Common infrastructure for NRLM(National Rural Livelihood Mission) Compliant Self Help Groups such as common work-sheds for livelihood activities of self-help groups.
4. Category D. Relating to Rural Infrastructure such as maintenance of rural public assets, construction of building for village counsels, women self-help groups federation, foodgrain storage structure, building material required for construction works.
Objectives of the MGNREGA
- It is introduced with an aim of improving the purchasing power of the rural people.It aims to provide 100 days employment to rural unemployed people.It attempts to bridge the gap between the rich and poor person.It aim at enhancing livelihood security of people in rural areas.
Advantages of MGNREGA
- Environmental Benefits and Vulnerability Reduction
- Every 5th rural Indian household benefits from GNREGA
- Agricultural Sustainability
- Women Empowerment
MGNREGA Question And Answer
1. Who are eligible to benefit from the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee ACT ?
A. Adult members of any household
B. Adult Member of below poverty line(BPL) household
C. Adult members of only the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households
D. Adult members of households of all backward communities
Ans- A. Adult members of any household
2. With reference to ” Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act”, consider the following statements:
A. Under the Scheme, half of the stipulated work force must be women
B. Adult members of any rural households are eligible to get the benefits
C. It provides a legal guarantee of 100 days of work in a financial year
D. None of the above
Ans- C. It provides a legal guarantee of 100 days of work in a financial year
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or Scheme (MGNREGA) PDF Download
Candidates can download the Mahtama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or Scheme (MGNREGA) pdf by clicking on below link.
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