The Big Picture – 10 years of MGNREGA: How Successful?

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The Big Picture – 10 years of MGNREGA: How successful?

Today marks the completion of one of the most ambitious schemes aimed at removing poverty, the MGNREGA. Considered biggest social welfare programmes in the world it aims at guarantying 100 days of work to people in rural areas. In these ten years the programme has arguably lifted lakhs of people out of poverty however there are few lacunas that needs to be addressed for effective implementation of the Act.

The program has made fundamental difference for people who could now do much better than before. The issue of finance has to be addressed properly. On one side we have a set of a states performing extremely well, on the other side there are states that are performing very low due to paucity of funds. There is an urgent need for the centre to address the issue of finance for effective implementation of scheme.

MGNREGA is a bottom up approach; it is no dought that the scheme has been empowering at ground level.  So far Government used to decide what kind of assets needs to be created in rural areas, but now the scheme needs to evolve making it more democratic  through involving local people,  Local people should be given authority on what should be done or what kind of assets need to be created.

There is a false perception among intellectuals that MGNREGA is all about digging and closing pits. It is felt that in addition to offering 100 days of unskilled manual work. There is a wide spread consensus  that MGNREGA should be attached to various skill development programmes, supplementing to create assets that are permanent in nature like roads, wells, bridges etc  and also a proposition to offer regular work all throughout the year instead of 100 days.

The issue of wages has been another issue that needs attention. There is a wide spread corruption while disbursing wages. Problems like fake bank accounts, offering fewer wages, delayed wages etc. This needs to be addressed properly for effective implementation of the Act.

Mains question

Q.1) “MGNREGA marks 10^th year since its inception, However there are issues that needs to be addressed properly for effective implementation” Analyse