Ministry/Department : Ministry of Rural Development
Objective: To enhance the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing 100 days of wage-employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work
Program:
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It is a social security measure that aims to guarantee the ‘right to work‘
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All willing rural citizens are eligible
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Focuses on durable assets as per local needs
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Act provides for social audit of performance at least once in every six months
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Wages are linked to Consumer Price Index (Agriculture Labour)
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Employment is to be provided within 5 km of an applicant’s residence, and minimum wages are to be paid.
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If work is not provided within 15 days of applying, applicants are entitled to an unemployment allowance.
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MGNREGA is to be implemented mainly by gram panchayats.
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Labour-intensive tasks like creating infrastructure for water harvesting, drought relief and flood control are preferred
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The central government bears the full cost of unskilled labour, and 75% of the cost of material (the rest is borne by the states).
Factual Information:
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Started in 2006
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Has legal backing of MGNREGA Act
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Scheduled Caste workers has consistently been about 20%
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Scheduled Tribe workers has been about 17%
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Statutory minimum limit for women share of work is 33%. This limit has been crossed all along.
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More than 65% of the works taken up under the programme are linked to agriculture and allied activities