The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, chaired by Mr Prataprao Jadhav presented a critical evaluation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), that came into force in September 2005. The scheme guarantees 100 days of manual unskilled labour, to members of rural households. The committee had some key recommendations and observations. The committee recommended that the state stipulate an additional 50 days of work, especially during national exigencies such as covid 19. The committee also suggested revamping the ambit of work as per local needs, with suggestions from the stakeholders to include area-specific work, such as the construction of agriculture fences. The committee noted that the wage bracket ranging from Rs 193-Rs 318 is unjustified and so, a system should be devised to unify the wage rate across the nation. The committee noted an inordinate delay in payments, owing to inactive Aadhaar and closed, blocked, or frozen bank accounts. In case of delayed payments, the worker is entitled to compensation at the rate of 0.05% of the wages, per day which the committee noted is not being adhered to. The committee noted that the unemployment allowance, which is given if work is not given, within 15 days of applying is also not being provided to people. An ombudsperson is appointed, for each district who will receive grievances, conduct inquiries, and pass awards. The Committee noted that out of 715 possible appointments, so far only 263 ombudsmen have been appointed The committee asked the government to onboard state governments to appoint ombudsperson, to avoid losing funding. Read the full report by clicking on the source below:
Decoding the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
