The implementation of MGNREGA was left to the Gram Panchayats. According to government sources, since the inception of the scheme, the government of India has incurred a total expenditure of INR 289817.04 crores towards the scheme, thereby employing 68,26,921 workers on 2,61,942 worksites (data as of June 2015). The minimum wages initially determined were INR 100 a day but later revised in keeping with the state labor employment conventions. The minimum wages are now determined by the states and range between INR 163 in Bihar to INR 500 in Kerala. The MGNREGA has been at the receiving end of much criticism over the years. From being criticized for encouraging corruption to increase inequality to being called an election card for the UPA – the scheme has been picked apart for a variety of reasons. Apart from causing a major financial drain on the country’s resources, the actual benefits of the scheme do not reach the rural laborers, detractors claim.

The Government of India passed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 in September 2005. The Act gives a legal guarantee of a hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to adult members of a rural household who demand employment and are willing to do unskilled manual work. The Act will be applicable to areas notified by the Central Government. The objective of the Act is to enhance the livelihood security of the people in the rural areas by generating wage employment through works that develop the infrastructure base of that area.

Launching of Scheme

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme was launched by Govt. of India in all Gram Panchayats of districts Mahendergarh and Sirsa on 2nd February 2006, and this scheme was also extended in two more districts namely Ambala & Mewat w.e.f. 1st April 2007. The remaining districts of the State have been covered under the scheme w.e.f. 1.4.2008..

Objectives

• Enhancement of livelihood security to the households in rural areas of the State by providing round the year employment with a minimum guarantee of one hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to every household volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The secondary objective includes the creation of assets for the development of rural areas.

Cost Sharing

• Financial assistance shall be provided by Central and State Governments in the ratio of 90:10 respectively.

Target Group

• The scheme is open to all rural households who are in need of wage employment and desire to do manual and unskilled work.
• The period of employment should ordinarily be at least fourteen days continuously with not more than six days in a week.
• Priority to works where at least one-third of wage seekers are women.
• Persons desirous for work may submit their applications to the Gram Panchayat.
• Gram Panchayat shall register the household. After verification, a job card is to be issued to the applicant's household.
• Gram Panchayat or Block Programme Officer shall provide unskilled manual work to the applicant within fifteen days of receipt of the application preferably within a radius of 5 kilometers of the village, where the applicant resides. In case the employment is provided outside such a radius, it must be provided within the Block and the laborers shall be paid 10% of the wage rate as extra wages to meet additional transportation and living expenses.

Program Strategy

• The program will be implemented through Panchayati Raj Institutions. The Block Programme Officer shall allot fifty-percent works in terms of cost to the Gram Panchayat. Gram Sabha shall recommend works and the Gram Panchayat shall identify/approve the works for implementation.
• The Block Programme Officer will scrutinize the Annual Plan. The Panchayat Samiti will maintain the priority of works indicated by the Gram Panchayat and approve the Block level Plan.
• The Deputy Commissioner is designated as District Programme Coordinator for the implementation of the Act/Scheme in the district. The Additional Deputy Commissioner shall act as Additional District Programme Coordinator. The DPC shall scrutinize the plan proposals of the Panchayat Samitis. The whole exercise shall be completed by DPC before the end of December each year.
• Under the scheme, minimum wages of Rs. 315/- per man-day notified by the Ministry of Rural Development, Govt of India w.e.f. 1st April 2021 are being paid equal to men and women workers. The payment of wages is being made through Saving Bank/Post Offices accounts of workers on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

Unemployment Allowance

• Unemployment allowance shall be payable if employment is not provided within 15 days of the receipt of the application. The rate of employment allowance shall be forth of the wage rate for the first thirty days and not less than one-half of the wage rate for the remaining period.
• Unemployment allowance shall not be paid if the applicant does not report for work within fifteen days or adult members of the household received at least one hundred days of work during the financial year.

Wage and Material  Ratio

• 60:40 wage and material ratio to be maintained at the District level.

How To Apply

• Refer to http://https://nrega.nic.in/