Somasekhar

durable and productive type of community assets which ultimately affects in

reduction of poverty.

Keeping in view of this the historic Act National Rural Employment Guarantee

Act, passed by the Parliament of India in its monsoon session in 2005 with a view

to create employment opportunities and to ensure minimum level of livelihood

security in the rural areas.

MGNREGS

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) which is renamed

recently as Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is the most significant poverty alleviation

employment and income generation programme started in India on 2 nd February

2006. This flagship programme of the Government of India touches the lives of

the rural poor and promotes inclusive growth. It is a landmark in the history of

rural development poverty and for strengthening gross root processes reduction

policies of democracy by infusing transparency and accountability and strategies.

The primary objective of the programme is augmenting wage employment. Its

auxiliary objective is strengthening natural resource management through works

that address causes of chronic poverty like drought, deforestation and soil erosion

and to encourage for sustainable development.

MNGREGS was implemented in the initial phase in 200 poorest districts of the

country on February 2, 2006, and was extended to 130 more districts from April

1, 2007 onwards. It has been extended to all the rural districts of India from April

1, 2008. The “right to life” is a fundamental right of all citizens under the Article

21 of the Indian constitution. The scheme is a step towards the right to work

as envisaged in the fundamental rights to live with dignity. As per the right to

work in the “Directive Principles” of the constitution, the state shall direct its

policy towards securing that the citizen men and women equally, have the right

to an adequate means of livelihood (Article 39A). The state shall make effective

provision for securing the right to work (Article 41).

Salient Features of NREGS

¾ It is an ACT whereby any adult member of a household residing in rural

areas, who is willing to do unskilled manual work at the minimum wage is

entitled to secure 100 day of employment within 15 days of his/her demand.

If not, the applicant is entitled to and unemployment allowance, at least one

fourth of the minimum wages for the first 30 days and one half thereafter.

¾ Work should be located within five-kilometer distance. If it is outside the

limit of five kilometers, the worker is entitled to get allowance for traveling

and living there.

420