World's largest employment guarantee program - Part 3

 In this third part series regarding MGNREGA, we would see how the rural job guarantee scheme along with other government schemes acted as a cushion in minimizing the onslaught of corona outbreak on rural economy which otherwise had very much potential in creating an unrest through out the interiors of the country with the arrival of migrant workers from urban areas which experienced shutdowns for months together. 

Along with Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), the time-tested job scheme or MGNREGA came as a big relief for millions of migrant workers who returned to their villages in most desperate conditions. As said earlier, the Union government pumped an additional Rs. 40,000 crore to the existing budget allocation for 2020-21 taking it to Rs 1,01,500 crore. Further, wage rate was enhanced from Rs 182 to Rs 202. MGNREGA which acts like social protection by providing 100 days’ work to a member of rural household had generated unprecedented demand during corona lockdown.

To illustrate, a record number of 175.97 crore person days has been created. In a desperate bid for survival, return migrants have steadily turned to the scheme and the job demand has witnessed an unprecedented rise with states like Uttar Pradesh (UP) (57.13 lakh workers), Rajasthan (53.45 lakh workers) and Andhra Pradesh  (36 lakh workers) leading the trend. Reports claim that in at least 26 states, more households have demanded work in the first 25 days of June alone than the average of the past seven years (2013-14 to 2019-20).

However, there were glitches in this too especially meeting the work demand.  As per recent data,  27.78 lakh households in 31 districts of UP availed work during corona year as compared to 6.71 lakh households in the last year. The challenge was that there was no work days left in the state quota for coming months. Similar situation was faced in other states such as Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal among others. Second issue about MGNREGA is that while the scheme has come as big relief in the time of crisis, its major drawback is it is meant for unskilled workers. The diversification of the scheme is a far cry to which not many governments have paid serious attention. Its scope can easily spread to agriculture, dairy, poultry, horticulture, vegetable cultivation and others allied rural activities, even skill training.

Source: https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/covid19-and-indias-informal-workers-a-scrutiny-of-states-response

To be continued....

Jai Kisan

It has been almost 6 months since we have been allowed to visit the relatives house or freely visit a friends house. All thanks to Corona. It has strained already feeble relationship curve and created more islands of people to find happiness in loneliness.

 

This pandemic has been courteous to ruling class where the protests marches are avoided or not given permission showcasing the spread of disease as  a cause factor. But still on the other hand our brave farmers are out on streets protesting the recent developments knowing that dangers of pandemic are still hovering around them.

 No one knew that such times will occur wherein they will have to challenge the pandemic all for cause of making their stance loud and clear to the ruling class who otherwise remain mute to the expectations of the people around.There is no other option before the working class and they are forced to come out in such huge numbers. 

 

Hope ruling class gets acquainted to the fact wherein the farmers have taken risk to come out in huge numbers and has adequate data on this front which otherwise has NO DATA AVAILABLE on important matters.