NREGA

What is NREGA?
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) is an Indian job guarantee scheme, enacted by legislation on August 25, 2005

What is the objective of NREGA?\

The scheme provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage of Rs.100 per day. The Central government outlay for scheme is Rs. 40,100 crores in FY 2010-11.

Why was this act enacted?

This act was introduced with an aim of improving the purchasing power of the rural people, primarily semi or un-skilled work to people living in rural India, whether or not they are below the poverty line. Around one-third of the stipulated work force is women. It was initially called the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) but was renamed on 2 October 2009

How is the NREGA implemented?

Adult members of rural households submit their name, age and address with a photo to the Gram Panchayat. The Panchayat registers households after verification and issues a job card. The job card contains the details of the adult member enrolled and his/her photo. A registered person can submit an application for work in writing (for at least fourteen days of continuous work) either to the panchayat or to Programme Officer. application daily unemployment allowance will be paid to the applicant.
No discrimination between men and women is allowed under the act. Therefore, men and women must be paid the same wage. All adults can apply for employment

Criticism

• If implemented in a constructive manner would cost the country 5% of its GDP
• Another important criticism is that the public works schemes' completed product (e.g. water conservation, land development, afforestation, provision of irrigation systems, construction of roads, or flood control) is vulnerable to being taken over wealthier sections of society
• Further concerns include the fact that local government corruption leads to the exclusion of specific sections of society. Local governments have also been found to claim more people have received job cards than people who actual work in order to generate more funds than needed, to be then embezzled by local officials. Bribes as high Rs 50 are paid in order to receive the job cards

Question for comments :

Do you think a scheme like NREGA can be effectively implementing in a country like India?

Do post your thoughts in the comments section of this post.