A moment to revive MGNREGA

The Indian Express     22nd May 2020     Save    

Context: Government has allocated Rs. 1 lakh crore to MGNREGA to create employment at ground level. But it must be supplemented with steps to make it more effective

Importance of MGNREGA

  • Legally backed guarantee: to get work within 15 days of demanding it.
  • Demand-based trigger: Enables self-selection of workers and assures at least 100 days of wage employment.

Issues With MGNREGA

  • Clearing previous liabilities: accounts for 18% of annual budgetary allocation for MGNREGA since 2012.
  • Supply driven programme: Due to capping of financial resources by Previous Governments 
  • Inordinate delay in wage payments and material liability.
  • little autonomy provided to Gram Panchayats: affects its implementation
  • Fund Allocation: approximately Rs 84,000 crore is available i.e. 0.47% of the GDP (World Bank recommended 1.7% for the optimal functioning of the programme.)
  • Lack of enthusiasm by states: State Governments run programme only to the extent of funds made available from the Central Government.

Immediate steps to ensure the MGNREGA lives up to its potential.

  • Ensure public works are opened, provided work immediately, without imposing on them the requirement of demanding work in advance.
  • Local Bodies proactively distribute job cards to needy migrants.
  • Adequate facilities like water, soap should be provided free of cost. MGNREGA tools should not be shared between workers.
  • Procedure for implementation of MGNREGA should be simplified, not diluted.
  • Government should go with wage distribution in cash, san biometric authentication as banking penetration is low in the rural area.
  • Flexibility in the kind of work to be undertaken.

Way Forward

  • MGNREGA is a demand-based guarantee backed by law, and in background of nearly eight crore migrant workers returning to their villages its proper implementation will be a true revival of MGNREGA.