Issues plaguing MGNREGS

Issues plaguing MGNREGS

Part of: Prelims and GS-III Economy

Context: According to a Parliamentary Standing Committee report submitted to the Lok Sabha, fake job cards, widespread corruption, late uploading of muster rolls, and huge pending payments for wages and materials are among the issues hampering the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme.

• With regard to the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, the panel said ground-level observations exposed corruption.

Key takeaways 

• The Committee were informed of the non-availability of actual labourers working in MGNREGA site while on-paper the number of labourers stayed intact and full.
  • Pending wages amounted to Rs. 4,060 crore.
  • The budget estimates for the scheme for 2022-23 were reduced from the Rs. 78,000 crore sought by the Department of Rural Development, to Rs. 73,000 crore.

What is Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)?

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was notified in 2005.
• Goal – To improve the livelihood security of people in rural areas.
• It is a universal scheme guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment in a year to every rural household that expresses a demand. 
• It aims to guarantee the ‘Right to Work’.
• Every registered household receives a Job Card (JC) to track their work completed.
• The scheme is implemented by the gram panchayat.
• The failure of provision for employment within 15 days of the receipt of a job application will result in the payment of unemployment allowance to the job seekers.
• Employment is to be provided within 5 km of an applicant’s residence
• Employment under MGNREGA is a legal entitlement.

About the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G)

• Launch: To achieve the objective of “Housing for All” by 2022, the erstwhile rural housing scheme Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was restructured to Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) w.e.f 1st April, 2016.
• Ministry Involved: Ministry of Rural development.
• Aim: To provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all rural families, who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated houses by the end of March 2022.
• Beneficiaries: People belonging to SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST categories, widows or next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in action, ex servicemen and retired members of the paramilitary forces, disabled persons and minorities.
• The cost of unit assistance is shared between Central and State Governments in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and hilly states.

News Source: TH