1. An overview of features and current debates 21/01/2013 The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005

2. Contents Rationale History Overview of the Act- Processes and Design Features Implementation and Performance- Some indicators

3. Rationale Unemployment Support Mitigation of seasonal shocks Mitigation of idiosyncratic shocks Anti-poverty measures Provision of public goods/services

4. History The Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Scheme (MEGS) 1972 Food for Work Programme FWP 1977 Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana SGRY 2001 National Food for Work Programme (NFFWP) 2004

5. Enabling Environment for the MGNREGA Decentralizati- on and regional governance MEGS, FWP, SGRY, NFFWP Articles 39 and 41 of the Indian Constitution

6. Introduction to the Act Notified on 7 th September 2005 and implemented in three phases Mandate: The Act mandates enhancing livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. Objectives: - Primary: augmenting wage employment for the poorest of the poor - Secondary: strengthening natural resource management and encouraging sustainable development

7. Processes-1 Application for job card Issue of job card Demand for Employment Selection of Works Approval of projects Informing the PRIs Preparation of estimates Work allocation and maintenance of muster rolls Work measurement Social Audit Payment of Wages

8. Processes- 2 ImplementationFunding

9. Design Features Rights-based, demand driven Guaranteed Employment Guaranteed Wages link> Unemployment Allowance Geographical proximity to work-site Gender Equity Financial Inclusion Social Security measures Transparency and Accountability

10. Other on- going debates Is it an irreversible guarantee? Should not the guarantee be unlimited? Private works v/s Public works Convergence Full legal safeguards? Long term strategy or short term solution? Centre- State issues

12. Performance graph-1 However, in 2009-10, of all the rural households that applied work under the MGNREGA, 44 per cent did not get any work (5.3 crore HHs were provided employment). In the same years, the average person days per employed HH were 54 days while in the next year, 47 days. back>

13. Performance graph- 2 back>

14. MGNREGA notified wages and Min Wages Act 1948 (in Rs.) StateNREGA Wage 2006- 07 NREGA Wage 2007- 08 NREGA Wage 2009- 10 NREGA Wage 2010- 11 and 2011-12 NREGA Wage wef 1 st April 2012 Min. Wages Act 1948 2011-12 Andhra P80 100121137168 Arunachal P55-5765-6780118124135-154 Jharkhand76.68 99120122127 Kerala125 150164200 Mizoram91 110129136170 Rajasthan73 100119133135 WB69.4 100130136167

15. No. of Active Bank/PO Accounts in 2011-12 72 per cent of wages were disbursed either through bank accounts (53 per cent) or PO accounts (19 per cent)

16. Unemployment Allowance in 2010-11 No. of days for which allowance is due: 2185024 No. of days for which allowance is paid: 514 Total Amount paid: Rs.123589 which is approx Rs. 240 per day

17. Inter-State variation in women’s participation