As the population increases in India, people need more wages and livelihood. But the job vacancies are limited. MGNREGA YOJANA The competition is very tough and hence because of very less jobs unemployment is rising at an alarming rate.
The Government of India has taken some measures to solve this problem and improve the economic structure of the country. One of the most beneficial and effective projects of them is MGNREGA. But what is MGNREGA?
This is your stop; after reading this article you’ll get all the required details you need to understand about the MGNREGA YOJANA.
What is MGNREGA YOJANA
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is regarded as one of the most successful rural development schemes in the country. Implemented in 2005, the objective is to reduce the vulnerability of livelihoods of rural families by ensuring guaranteed employment.
As part of offering guaranteed employment for unskilled labor, MGNREGA is one of the flagship programs from the Government of India. It addresses poverty, employment generation rural infrastructure, and social empowerment of rural women and other disadvantaged groups.
Key objectives of MGNREGA
The MGNREGA schemes focus on certain developmentary factors in the country for employment purposes. Some of them include:
Employment Guarantee For MGNREGA YOJANA
The employment guarantee target group, as per the MGNREGA, is rural job-seekers whose adult members are willing to perform unskilled manual work and not less than 100 days of work shall be provided to every rural household in a year.
Poverty alleviation
Rural-urban migration is evidence of employment opportunities that they only have, thanks to a well-intensive skill, this strategy targets giving them jobs hence reducing rural poverty and the living standards of the marginalized groups who are subsiding under poverty.
Rural infrastructure development
The Scheme specifically aims at creating enduring assets in rural rehabilitation such as activities on water harvesting, road building, and construction of canals, ponds, and forestry that have lasting benefits for rural peoples.
Social Inclusion
This scheme focuses on the pressing issue of discrimination, as because of this scheme women, SC, ST, and other underprivileged communities are being encouraged to participate in the MGNREGA scheme. Women receive a considerable portion of the employment generated, and this contributes to decreasing women’s socio-economic inequality.
Empowerment
For rural people, women in particular, MGNREGA has economically made them independent and make decisions in their families through economic opportunity and empowerment through wage payments and employment opportunities.
Achievements of MGNREGA YOJANA
There were numerous achievements of MGNREGA when it was introduced and to date, it is helping the economy largely. Some of the major achievements of MGNREGA were: –
1. Employment generation
MGNREGA provides wage assistance for rural families for 100 days a year. If work is requested by an individual and not provided within 15 days, the Government is required to provide some allowance for the unemployed.
2. Infrastructure development
MGNREGA has been successful in creating several durable assets related to rural works. These works, especially water structures and road construction, have accrued additional advantages to agricultural practices and rural accessibility.
3. Inclusion of women
MGNREGA has demonstrated the remarkable aspect of incorporating women with high percentages. Aside from the social benefits, around 50 percent of women beneficiaries under the scheme have worked in a range of workforce activities, increasing their economic situation, power of participation in decision-making, and social status.
4. Reduction in migration
In many instances, it does so, as MGNREGA employment opportunities are made available without moving rural workers to cities. This reduces the demand for shelter and other amenities in the cities leading to better living conditions in the less populated areas.
5. Social empowerment
MGNREGA reveals that employment opportunities coupled with prompt payment of wages assist in the empowerment of disadvantaged people. It has made it possible for them to articulate their grievances and engage in more active decision-making processes at the community level.
How to Avail MGNREGA Benefits
MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households. Here’s how to access its benefits:
- Rural households with adults willing to do unskilled manual labor can apply.
- Visit your Gram Panchayat and fill out the application form (Form 1).
- Provide names, age proof, and address details.
- Receive your Job Card within 15 days.
- Submit a written work application specifying the type and duration of work.
- Get a dated receipt for your application.
- Work will be assigned within 15 days. If not, you are eligible for unemployment allowance.
- Payments are made directly to your bank/post office account within 15 days of work completion.
Critiques and barriers For MGNREGA YOJANA
MGNREGA has done very well in rural employment but like all other endeavors it has also its share of threats and critiques:
- Fund management
Relying on money that frequently gets embezzled, that is pay, returns, and various other levels of intrigue-linked problems in various aspects of implementing such programs is quite disheartening. Even if the purpose of the scheme is to remain open. Wages and things of that nature have been dispensed with opacity because funds have been MPOC where it was put together.
- Insufficient wage rates
More particularly, in especially economically strong areas, it is not enough to say that this includes allowing for the self-sufficiency of implementing workers, areas such as this have been specifically pointed out in remarks made about MGNREGA wages. The wage does not in every case, appear to be up to the minimum wage of an urban centre.
- Quality of work
More questions have been asked about the construction of the infrastructure that was put in place under MGNREGA. Works that were to be done in the first place were left undone and some in the end only half done losing the purpose of the scheme even before it came to fruition of the recurrent costs involved in doing something great.
MGNREGA YOJANA Conclusion
MGNREGA is a milestone program that has impacted rural India by fostering employment and development of the rural economy. It is a powerful instrument in poverty alleviation, women’s empowerment, and rural employment. However, to make it a game changer, it requires better delivery mechanisms, governance systems, and better infrastructure. Once these issues are resolved, MGNREGA is certainly going to be one of the key drivers of rural development and poverty reduction in India.