1. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)

A large population of rural poor in India depends on earnings through daily wages on unskilled manual works. These people are often threatened by unpredictable circumstances such as natural calamities and their personal health problems, which adversely affect the opportunities for their employment. Unforeseen market situations those affect the demand for labour also make them more vulnerable to sufferings.

The wage employment programmes implemented in the past by Government of India have been aiming at generating incomes for rural poor during lean periods and have been protecting the vulnerable sections from the distress of acute poverty.

            In order to reinforce the commitment towards livelihood security in rural areas, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was enacted.

             The NREGA, which was launched in 200 selected districts on 2nd Feb. 2006, was extended to 130 more districts in 2007-08 and to all other remaining districts from April, 2008 onwards.

The focus of the Act is on works relating to soil & water conservation, drought proofing, land development, flood protection, rural connectivity etc. The choice of works suggested in the Act, addresses causes of chronic poverty like drought, water harvesting, deforestation, soil erosion, so that the process of employment generation is on a sustainable basis and productivity of land also improves.

Objectives – MGNREGA

• Aims at enhancing the livelihood security of the people in rural areas by guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment in a financial year, to a rural household whose members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
• The objective of the Act is to create durable assets and strengthen the livelihood resource base of the rural poor.

Main Features - MGNREGA

• Adult members of a rural household may apply for employment if they are willing to do unskilled manual work. Such a household will have to apply for registration to the local Gram Panchayat, in writing, or orally.
• The Gram Panchayat after due verification will issue a Job Card to the household as a whole. Job card-holding household(s) may submit a written application for employment to the gram Panchayat.
• Employment will be given within 15 days of application for work by an employment seeker.
• At least one-third of persons to whom work is allotted, have to be women.
• Disbursement of wages has to be done on weekly basis and not beyond a fortnight.
• Each district has to prepare a shelf of project. The selected works to provide employment are to be selected from the list of permissible work. The shelf of projects has to be prepared on the basis of priority assigned by Gram Sabha.
• At least 50% of the works have to be allotted to Gram Panchayat for execution.
• A 60:40 wage and material ratio has to be maintained. Contractors and use of labour displacing machinery is prohibited.
• Work should ordinarily be provided within 5 km radius of the village or else extra wages of 10% are payable.
• Social audit has to be done by the Gram Sabha. Grievance redressal mechanisms have to be put in place for ensuring a responsive implementation process.
• All accounts relating to the scheme are to be made available to any person desirous of obtaining a copy of such records, on demand and after paying a specified fee.
• The central government bears the entire cost of wages of unskilled manual workers and 75% of the cost of material, wages of skilled and semi-skilled workers.
• Administrative expenses determined by the central government including the salary and allowances of the programme officer, supporting staff and cost of worksites facilities are also borne by the central government.
• State governments bear the cost of 25% of the material, wages of skilled and semi-skilled workers. Unemployment allowance if any payable will be borne by the State governments.

2. Mid-day-Meal Schemes(MDMS)