Working of

MGNREGA in
Rajasthan
Group V

Abhishek Kumar p38060

Anjali C p38068
Anmol Gogia p38070
Dheerendra Yadav p38073
Krishna Nandini p38082
 Introduction
Background (Post reforms period)
• Indian economy : primarily agrarian.
• Disguised unemployment
• Twin problem of unemployment & poverty
• Failure of trickledown theory
• State intervention to generate employment,
improve personal/household income through rural
asset creation and demand generation to reduce
poverty.
Notified on : Sept 7,2005
Came to force on : Feb 2, 2006
2006: 200 districts ; 2007: 130 districts ; 2008-
remaining
NREG Act, 2005
“An Act to provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households
in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of
guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose
adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work and for matters connected
therewith or incidental thereto.”
▪ Transfer of income to the needy- Employment provided on demand within
fifteen days.
▪ Participative, inclusive growth, Decentralized planning, village autonomy
▪ Expected to break the low income equilibrium of the rural economy and move
to higher income equilibrium
▪ Decentralized planning, village autonomy
▪ Multiplier effect
▪ Renamed as MGNREGA in 2009.

…Introduction
Expected Outcome
• Transfer of income to the needy section of the
society through employment generation.
• multiplier effect on the rural development.
• impact food security, savings, education and
health of its beneficiaries
• employment on public works pertaining to
water and soil will help agricultural
development.
• expected to break the low income equilibrium
of the rural economy and move to higher
income equilibrium
• Low funds available and corruption, leakages & inordinate delay of
Challenges
wages.
Faced
• Uneven implementation across states.
• The average work days generated is much less than stipulated 100 days.
• Poor asset quality created as a part of the programme , permissible works
are labor intensive with wage- material ratio of 60:40
Impact on Rural Economy
• Reduced rural distress and intensive distress migration in
traditionally migration-intensive areas
• Provides resources base for further rural development.
• The provisions like work upto 5 km from home, equal wages
promotes women empowerment
• By 2016, 1,980 crore person-days  276 million workers, with
more than half the jobs going to women workers and almost a
3rd to members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
• Social upliftment for all sections including SC/ST. SC (20%) ,
ST(17%)
• Revitalizing the labour market in rural areas - creation of a class
of workers - bargaining tool for extraction of higher wages.
MGNREGA in Rajasthan
System Level Analysis

▪ Lack of development, purchasing power, growth and increasing unemployment –

migration in the rural areas comparative to urban areas led to the inaction of this RDI.
▪ Pro-poor policy (directly targets the poor people, helps build capabilities)
▪ Reformist nature of the state policy.
▪ In some of the Gram Panchayats, the approval from Gram Sabha regarding the
designated work was a mere formality. (Undesired Top down planning)
▪ Vested interests of bureaucrats. (tying up with contractors in labour scarce region and
using machineries for work & generate fudged entries on job card of workers – Profit)
▪ Vested interests of Sachiv’s and mate – at times only the names of influential person
were recorded on the muster roll. Also the actual wage paid was found to be less than
minimum allowed amount.
 Policy Goals

• Augmenting wage employment.

• Time bound employment guarantee and wage payment within 15 days.
• Strengthening natural resource management through works that address causes of
chronic poverty like drought, deforestation and soil erosion and so encourage
sustainable development.
• Strengthening decentralization and deepening processes of democracy by giving a
pivotal role to the Panchayati Raj Institutions in planning, monitoring and
implementation.
• The permissible works include- water conservation and water harvesting; drought
proofing; micro irrigation; provision of irrigation facility to land owned by private owners;
renovation of traditional water bodies; land development; flood control and protection;
 Strategies

• Notification of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act came in September 2005.
It was launched on February 2, 2006.It directly touches lives of the poor and promotes
inclusive growth.
• The Act mandates a 33 percent participation for women.
• It is a decentralized approach.
• The projects were decided in the gram sabha as per the needs of the villagers.
 …Strategies

• Focus group discussions and PRA exercises were also undertaken to obtain community
perceptions.
• Meetings were also held with a few NGOs and CBOs as they are important
stakeholders.
• Discussions with State Government and District level officials to incorporate their
feedback along with responses from the grass root level.
• NREGA emphasizes that permissible works are labour intensive with wage- material
ratio of 60:40 maintained at the district level.
 Design Features
▪ Effective and efficient management of all processes
▪ Functional clarity of staff and clear guidelines
▪ Awareness building programs to get maximum participation
▪ Mates were key functionaries-women mates more than 50% which reduced migration
▪ Transparency and accountability of the scheme was maintained
▪ Clarity of roles and responsibilities at different levels of administration
▪ 60:40 ratio maintained on wages and materials purchase
▪ Proper grievance redressal mechanism was there
▪ PRI & GS play vital roles in Proper Planning & Implementation
▪ Provision of basic human amenities at worksite
 Roles & Responsibilities at different level of
Administration
▪ Centre Level- Ministry of Rural Development
▪ Design rules and regulations
▪ Decide budgetary allocation and ensure timely release of funds
▪ Maintenance and operation of MIS and track implementation of the act and use of
given resources
▪ State Level-State Government
▪ Financial and administration power given to Programme Officer for effective
implementation of scheme
▪ Create maximum awareness
▪ Regular review, monitoring and evaluation
 Roles & Responsibilities at different level of
Administration
▪ District & Block Level- Programme Officer
▪ Assessment of work demand
▪ Provide technical support to Gram Panchayat
▪ Maintenance of proper records of financial transactions
▪ Village Level-Gram Panchayat
▪ Receiving applications for registrations
▪ To Issue Job Cards
▪ Social mobilization
▪ Create maximum awareness
▪ Maintain proper records
 Implementation

Administration: PO-> BDO 1EGA/GP 1JEN/10GP

Administration Issues:-

▪ Functional & Hierarchical Issues among PO & BDO- PO officially superior but Sachivs
are more loyal to BDO.
▪ JENs facing difficulty in handling the assigned number of GPs. Currently 10-15 GPs.
Should be reduced to 5-6 for better supervision.
▪ No Travel allowance for EGA, Sachivs & JEN.
▪ Wrong & untimely payments of wages led to attack of JEN by villagers.
 …Implementation

▪ The mandays and the number of workers required are identified and the list is prepared
by the Sarpanch, Sachiv and JEN.
▪ The Sarpanch and Sachiv identifies and appoints a Mate.
▪ Once the Mate is appointed, the muster roll is transferred to the Mate.
▪ According to the villagers it is then onwards the muster rolls are tempered. The final
authority is the Mate who signs on the muster roll and then the payments are made.
▪ Mates are involved with daily supervision of the work and maintenance of the muster
rolls.
▪ Women mates are highly admired by women workers.
▪ Wages according to the measurements are calculated by the JEN. He also evaluates the
work.
Types of Works Undertaken
 Operations & Management

Training Issues
▪ As per design, all officers should attend capacity building training. Observed that none
have gone through the Act(Hardcopy). They are aware of important provisions of act only
through trainings provided. Officials are not clear about where and how much funds come
for the scheme.
▪ Severe need for intensive training. Should be continuous not one-time.
Job Card Issues
▪ In 2 districts,Job cards were issued based on 2002 BPL list. Led to exclusion of many.
▪ Caste, Religion & Tribe bias in issuing jobcards.
▪ Need to be more specific in defining ‘family’ in the Act. Reported instances that nuclear
family within joint family have separate cards.
Issues in Unemployment Allowances
▪ Hardly implemented even when work was not granted.
 …Operations & Management

▪ Issues in updating Job cards: Number of days worked by family is wrongly updated .
Some cases reported issue of more than 100 days of work to some villagers who are
close to Sarpanch.
Work & Work sites related issues
▪ Power of Sachivs, Sarpanch & Mates on deciding who gets the work.
Farm/pond work on private land-given to concerned HH who enrolled in muster roll.
▪ Provide work in rotation : Phalas which did not get work gets the first priority while
assigning work. [Nearest Phalas->Phalas within 5km]
▪ Only name of ‘Influential people’ listed in muster roll. Rejects approaching villagers
saying ‘we already have enough labour’.
▪ The actual wage paid is less than the minimum in most cases. Ensured equal wages for
men & women.
▪ People refuse to go to work even though work is provided to them. The reason is better
 …Operations & Management
▪ Amount of wages is decided by JEN based on the task performed and is given on weekly
basis.
▪ Wage for farm pond construction is Rs 45-46 while that for gravel road construction is Rs
45-60. Similarly differential pay for skilled & unskilled workers.
▪ Measurement of task is not performed daily. Done according to JEN’s convenience.
▪ Delay in measurements leads to delay in payment of wages.
▪ Payment of wages is through Banks. Widely accepted due to its transparency.

Issues with facilities at worksite

▪ Act insists in providing facilities for safe drinking water, shade for children, place of rest
and a first-aid box at the work site & also crèche facility.
▪ Lack of facilities discourages women to participate in NREGA.
 District profiles (2001)
Districts Conditions Population Literacy Sex SC - ST Forest Net Sown
ratio
Dungarpur Hilly, Normal drought 11.08 lakhs ,93% rural 1022 65% ST 17.84% 31.96%
situation , 710mm
rainfall
Karauli sub tropical, dry 12.10 lakhs, 85.8 % 63.38% 855 23.2% SC , 22.40% 34.14%
climate, 800 mm rainfall rural ST
Jalore 419.2 mm rainfall 14.5 lakhs, 92.4% rural 46.49% 964 18% SC , 8.75% ST 1.97% 61.91%
Jhalawar 951.6 mm rainfall 11.80 lakhs, 85.7% rural 57.32% 926 16% SC , 12% ST 19.35% 50.11%
Banswara 922.4 mm rainfall 15.01 lakhs, 92.85% 44.63% 973 4.28% SC,72.27% 22.29% 46.61%
rural ST

Impacts & Water conservation

District wise completed projects
Drought proofing Micro Irrigation Irrigation facilities to pvgt. Land owners

Outcomes Renovation of trad. Water bodies Land dev. Flood control and protection Rural connectivity
▪ Largest number of works under
water harvesting Others

▪ Depending on demand

2824
2670
▪ Jalore : Work evaders are given

1763
work separately, wage payment is

978

977
832

726

292
322
325

247
270
236

273
184

156
171
according to the task performed.

64
56

58

40

26

63
65
32

74
18

15

15
2

1
Ka r a uli Ja lor e Ba ns wa r a Dunga r pur Jha la w a r
0
0

0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0

0
 Factors Dungarpur Karauli Jalore Jhalawar Banswara Comments
Awareness NREG Almost everyone aware of the program 99.21%
Source of info Wardpanch, PRI Mate , Communication Communication Wardpanch was the major source
institutions , of information and instrumental in
communication generating awareness about

100 days emp Everyone aware

Work within 5km aware aware
Min wages Lowest level Highest level fixed by the JEN
of awareness of awareness
Crèche, Shed, present present Proper facilities encourage more
Water women participation
Planning few people few people Participation in GP is very low

Unemployment 2 people aware 2 people 3 people aware 12 people aware

wages aware
Work within 5km 88 days 71%
Work Number of days of 88.58 days , 71days , villagers 2272552 mandays, Men 31 days
work shortage of labour politically close to the avg , women 52 days, 80% women
sarpanch given more
than 100 days
Who gets the work Rotation basis- Only influential farm/pond works on a private land,
phala which did not people's names it is largely the family members of
get any work present in the muster the concerned household
roll, not informed
about the procedure,

Applicants 100% 95.59% 97.02%

 Factors Dungarpur Karauli Jalore Jhalawar Banswara Comments
Work Knowledge about 28.62% 89.42% 44% unaware of wage rate
Wage rate , mistook min wage as
wage rate
POC for mate whom most persons contact for work followed by sarpanch and then secretary, minimal role
employment to the ward panch
Did not go for the 13.96% , unsatisfied with 25% Higher wages for agri
provided work unsatisfied with the wages labour during seasons,
the wages important domestic
works,illness,disinterest
Employment No 98% ;18 cases - after 15
within 15 days unemployment days
allowances
Dated receipts 47% provided
Wage Rs 45-60 Rs 45-60 Rs 45-60 40-60 per day ,mate is
supervising 70-73 Rs
Who pays the secretary 36.5% sarpanch, secretary mainly Banks-delayed payment
wages mainly ,Bank of 61.7% secretary but more trusted
Baroda
Role of mate women mates
Migration 16% of migrant 22.5% of migrant HH Reduced to the 12.61% of migrant "ghar baithey rozgar mil
HH least HH jata haey"
Augmenting the Daily 98.70% 90% positive upward impact on
Purchasing consumption household expenditure
Power and standards of living.
Purchased HH 5% 45% Satisfied With
items NREGA,More Than 100
days
Festivities , social high high high
obligations
Lessons & Feedbacks

▪ Transition to bank payments of NREGA wages.

▪ The MGNREGA work could be made more productive by increasing the material
labour ratio. (leads to creation of tangible assets that don’t get easily washed away).
▪ Job cards need to have proper and accurate information about the workers.
▪ Gender based discrimination needs to be taken care of as often male mates are not
sensitive towards the women.
▪ Minimum payment of 50 Rupees should be abolishedtr since it incentivises
unintended participation of workers.
▪ Strict measures should be taken to stop the renting of the job cards. (induces
malpractices & corruption)
Conclusion

▪ Brought upon an improvement in the economic situation of households by increasing

the monthly per capita expenditure on food ,non-food items & physical assets
(cycles).
▪ It also helped people to improve & repair their houses.
▪ Thus Improved the standard of living.
▪ Induced impacts on the development of children – families having access to program
saw a large & positive impact on the learning abilities of their children.
▪ A significant reduction in the migration statistics from the rural areas.
▪ Stringent mechanisms to remove Favoritism and discrepancies among the workings
of mate need to be established to enhance the returns from the projects.
Thank you