Short note on NREGA

Answer 1

NATIONAL RURAL EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEME

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was notified by the

Government of India on September, 2005 and was made effective w.e.f. 2nd February

2006. In the first phase, the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (NREGS) was

introduced in District Chamba and Sirmour on 2nd February, 2006. In second phase

NREGS was started in District Kangra and Mandi w.e.f. 1-4-2007. In the third phase all

the remaining 8 districts of the State have been covered under the scheme w.e.f. 1.4.2008.

1. SALIENT FEATURE

The salient feature of the scheme is to provide for the enhancement of

livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the State by providing 100 days

of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose

adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

2. ELIGIBILITY

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is open to all rural

households in the areas notified by the Government of India. The entitlement of 100

days of guaranteed employment in a financial year is in terms of a household. This

entitlement of 100 days per year can be shared within the household.

All adult members of the household who registered can apply for work. To

register, they have to:-

a) Be local residents "local" implies residing within the gram panchayat.

b) Be willing to do un-skilled manual work.

c) Apply as a household at the local gram panchayat.

3. APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION AND ISSUANCE OF JOB

CARDS

The application for registration can be given on plain paper or on the

prescribed application format available at gram panchayat level or an oral request

for registration can be made. The application should contain the names of those

adult members of the household who are willing to do un-skilled manual work, and

particulars such as age, sex and SC/ST status etc. After verification all particulars

are entered in the registration register by the concerned gram panchayat. Every

household is assigned a registration number.

Job cards to every registered household are issued by the gram panchayat. The

job cards are issued within a fortnight of the application for registration.

Photographs of adult members who are applicants are attached to the job cards. The

cost of job card and photographs is borne as part of the programme funds. The job

card is valid for a period of 5 years

4.PERMISSIBLE WORKS

As per schedule 1 of the Act the focus of the scheme is on the following works

in their order of priority:-

(i) Water Conservation and Water Harvesting works;

(ii) Drought proofing works (including afforestation and tree plantation)

(iii) Irrigation canals including micro and minor irrigation works;

(iv) Provision of irrigation facility, horticulture plantation and land

development facilities on land owned by the households belonging to

the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes or to below poverty line

families or to Marginal Farmers or Small Farmers to beneficiaries of

land reforms or to the beneficiaries under the Indira Awas Yojana of

the Government of India;

(v) Renovation of traditional water bodies including de-silting of tanks ;

(vi) Land developments works;

(vii) Flood control and protection works including drainage in water logged

areas;

(viii) Rural connectivity to provide all-weather access; and

(ix) Any other work which may be notified by the Government of India in

consultation with the State Government.

The Government of India has been requested to allow engaging "Crop

protectors" as one of the Permissible works under NREGA for Himachal Pradesh

5.FUNDING PATTERN

The following costs are borne by the Government of India:-

(a) The entire cost of wages for unskilled manual workers.

(b) 75 percent of the cost of material and wages for skilled and semi-skilled

workers.

(c) Administrative expenses.

The following costs are borne by the State Government:-

(a) 25 percent of the cost of material and wages for skilled and semiskilled

workers.

(b) Un-employment allowance.

(c) Administrative expenses of State Employment Guarantee Council.

Impact of the Scheme

Implementation of NREGS in the State has been proved and important tool to give

a legal guarantee of employment to any one in rural areas who is willing to do casual manual

day work. Thus, an employment guarantee act has provided a universal and enforceable legal

right to the most basic form of employment. It is a step towards legal enforcement of the right

to work. The implementation of the Act has checked the migration of labour and it as also

been a major source of empowerment for women. By creating directly productive economic

assets under the scheme, rural livelihood base has been strengthened. The employment

guarantee act has also strengthened the bargaining power of unorganized workers.

The impact assessment study of the implementation of NREGA in the State

has not yet been conducted. However, the aforementioned results of the implementation of

NREGA are based on the feedback obtained from the implementing agencies and assessing

the impression of the general public towards the implementation of NREGA in the State.