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MGNREGA is a government scheme that provides financial assistance to rural households in India. The name is an abbreviation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. It was enacted in 2005 to ensure that all rural households have work to do in some capacity, which prevents them from falling into poverty. The parliament of India passed the MGNREGA on August 23, 2005.
Objectives of MGNREGA
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a central government scheme that aims to guarantee 100 days of unskilled manual work to rural households in India every year. It not only provides an income to families that need it but also enables women to take an active part in the decision-making process in the household and gives the family a sense of purpose and direction. In many ways, it provides a needed break from the monotony of daily life in the village. At the same time, 100 days of unskilled manual work would help to get rid of the poverty in rural India.
MGNREGA provides guaranteed employment of 100 days to unskilled rural labour, which will help provide stability and growth in local communities.
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It helps people in improving their economic conditions.
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It has decreased the migration of rural people to urban areas in search of work.
History of MGNREGA
The former prime minister of India, PV Narasimha Rao, proposed the pilot scheme of MGNREGA in 1991 to generate employment in rural areas. The main purpose of this scheme was to generate employment for the people of rural areas who usually don’t obtain work in the lean season. This scheme was launched with the vision of getting rid of poverty, enhancing food security, and upgrading the infrastructure of rural areas.
Role of State Governments in MGNREGA
The role of state governments in the MGNREGA is to provide funds to the district collectors and block development officers (BDOs) who, in turn, disburse them to the gram panchayats and village self-help groups (SHGs), in order to carry out construction work in the villages. The funds are used to hire labourers, purchase material, and execute the work. The district magistrates and BDOs are the nodal officers for the implementation of MGNREGA in the district and block levels, respectively. The state governments are required to provide funds to the district collectors and BDOs under Section 46 of the MGNREGA.
Important Functions of SEGC under MGNREGA
The State Employment Guarantee Council (SEGC) plays a key role in the implementation of the MGNREGA, as it advises the state government. The SEGC aids in monitoring and evaluating this scheme. The proposal of the work is recommended by the SEGC to the central government. Spreading awareness about the MGNREG scheme in the districts is also its responsibility. The SEGC prepares the annual report of the state government, which is to be presented to the state legislature.
Why is MGNREGA Necessary?
If we see the purposes this scheme serves, it is clear that the MGNREGA is the lifeline of people residing in rural areas during lean periods. In India, the unemployment rate is very high in the rural areas, due to which many people shift from rural areas to urban areas, so this scheme is very important in terms of simply uplifting their quality of life. This scheme was launched on August 23, 2005, and it was one of the greatest schemes ever in the history of India, as 12.2 crore people came under this scheme. Unemployment is a great challenge in India, due to which the poverty rate in our country is very high. But the introduction of this scheme helped in controlling the poverty rate.
Conclusion
MGNREGA is a government scheme that provides financial assistance to rural households in India. This scheme aims to guarantee 100 days of unskilled manual work to rural households in India every year. The former prime minister of India, PV Narasimha Rao, proposed the pilot scheme of MGNREGA in 1991 to generate employment in rural areas. The main purpose of this scheme was to generate employment for the people residing in rural areas who usually don’t obtain work in the lean season. The role of state governments in the MGNREGA is to provide funds to the district Collectors and BDOs who, in turn, disburse the funds to gram panchayats and village SHGs.
