1. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Ministry of Rural Development Government of India

2. To a people famishing and idle, the only acceptable form in which God could dare appear was 'work and promise of food as wages Mahatma Gandhi

3. Presentation Overview  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) Overview  NREGA & Agriculture  Convergence Initiatives taken by the Ministry

4. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act & Objectives 1. Providing wage employment opportunities 2. Creating sustainable rural livelihoods through rejuvenation of natural resource base i.e. augmenting productivity and supporting creation of durable assets 3. Strengthening rural governance through decentralisation and processes of transparency and accountability An Act to provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of Guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household

5. Outcomes

6. NREGA: Positive Trends  Increase in Agriculture Minimum Wages and wage earned per day and annual income. Bargaining power of labour has increased  Earnings per HH has increased from Rs 2795 in 2006-07 to Rs 3150 in 2007-08 to Rs 4060 in 2008-09 and about Rs 5000 in 2009-10  Financial Inclusion: 9.19 crore accounts opened  Distress migration has reduced in many parts  “Green Jobs” created as 70% works relate to water conservation, water- harvesting, restoration, renovation and desilting of water bodies, drought-proofing, plantation & afforestation  Productivity effects of NREGA reported - Improvement in ground water - Improved agricultural productivity & cropping intensity - Livelihood diversification in rural areas. 66

7. MGNREGA AND AGRICULTURE

8. Nature of MGNREGA works are such that they augment productivity Community Lands  Water conservation  Water harvesting  Irrigation  Drought proofing  Plantation & Afforestation  Renovation of water bodies  Desilting of tanks & canals  Flood control measures  Rural connectivity Private Lands of SC/ST/IAY/Land Reform beneficiaries/BPL/small and marginal farmers Small & marginal farmers account for 80% of land- holdings & operate 40% of cultivated land  Land Development  Irrigation facilities  Horticulture Plantation

9. Highest Priority to Water Conservation

10. Leveraging MGNREGA for Sustainable Development through Inter-sectoral Convergence  From mere wage employment to sustainable rural livelihoods  From unskilled to skilled labour through knowledge & technology input, training & capacity building in productivity increases, water-use efficiency, backward–forward linkages  Significant productivity increases could be stimulated by NREGA on holdings of small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas

11. Increasing Share of works on private lands [provision of irrigation facilities to land owned by SC/SC/IAY/BPL/Small and Marginal Farmer beneficiaries]

12. Improving Land and Water Productivity through MGNREGA  Expansion of private works to include Small & Marginal Farmers -Gram Panchayats to ensure that (as per permissible list) on lands of SC / ST and BPL receive first priority  “Pond or Dug-well on Every Farm in Rainfed Areas”: Provision of water source (farm pond / dug-well with recharge structure) on lands of small, marginal and tribal farmers -60% lands of small & marginal farmers and 90% lands of tribal farmers are unirrigated -Special focus will be on those who benefit under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 12

13. NREGA works catalyse agricultural development through: Additional land under irrigation/cultivation Improved soil fertility and moisture conservation Convergence with NHM, RKVY, NFSM, Fisheries etc Growth in consumption of agricultural inputs through increased household earnings So huge potential exists for NREGA convergence with agriculture and allied programmes such as; National Horticulture Mission Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana National Food Security Mission MGNREGS and Schemes of Ministry of Agriculture 13

14. MGNREG Convergence with RKVY Developing of rain fed farming systems in and outside watershed areas, as also integrated development of watershed areas, wastelands, river valleys Activities relating to enhancement of horticulture production and popularization of micro irrigation systems; Collection and processing of neem seeds as part of Integrated Pest Management Promote Organic farming through extensive composting and recycling of solid waste Seed production, packing and processing in common and community lands Common post harvest facilities for threshing, storage and labour intensive processing 14

15. MGNREGS with National Food Security Mission National Food Security Mission (NFSM) The objective of the Mission Increase production of rice, wheat and pulses through area expansion and productivity enhancement in a sustainable manner in the identified districts Restoring soil fertility and productivity at the individual farm level Creation of employment opportunities; and enhancing farm level economy ( i.e. farm profits) to restore confidence amongst the farmers. Value addition to NREGS work through NFSM Individual land holding cultivators benefiting under NREGS should be included under NFSM on priority, for value addition through sharing of information: Critical role of ATMA 15

16. Convergence with Watershed Programmes Guidelines Issued Project of a village to be prepared on Watershed approach  Delineation of Watershed as per Common guidelines for Watershed  Under NREGA, the size can be an area of the village matching micro watershed i.e. nearly 250 to 500 hectares.  Gap Filling through NREGA a) Areas treated under Watershed Development programme but not saturated because of insufficient cost norms. b) Difficult areas, being treated under the watershed Development programme, where the revised cost norms is also not sufficient to saturate the area. c) New areas; neither yet treated nor planned under watershed programme and where works are to be planned on watershed approach under NREGA. 16

17. Triggering Green Revolution in Rainfed Areas  Green Revolution bypassed the rainfed areas. Agriculture Development Programmes and MGNREGS converged have potential to become a life-support system in the rainfed areas  Most MGNREGA works contribute directly or indirectly to agricultural development  Convergence of MGNREGA with agriculture and allied sectors is possible across the value chain; o Pre-production - Soil and water conservation projects form bulk of MGNREGA works o Production phase – Weed control in common lands, community nurseries for planting material o Post harvest – Common threshing floors, village roads for connectivity to markets, composting post harvest waste Convergence of MGNREGS with Schemes of Ministry of Agriculture can improve soil health & water conservation 17

18. Advisory to States  Assessment of labour & works in areas of deficient rainfall  GPs to be ready with Shelf of Projects  Shelf of Projects may be revised and submitted to Ministry for additional budgetary support  Ensure adequate funds available in every GP  Special attention to water conservation & harvesting, restoration & renovation of water bodies  Convergence guidelines with Ministry of Agriculture issued. Progress should be monitored 18

19. Water Conservation

21. Plantation Works