The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour recently acknowledged the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for its role in providing sustainable livelihood to unskilled workers including inter-state migrant laborers. The committee’s findings were detailed in a report titled “Social Security and Welfare Measures for Inter-State Migrant Workers”.
Praise for MGNREGS in Standing Committees Observation
MGNREGS, established by the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, is identified as a significant welfare provision, integral to the idea of citizenship. The committee stated that no scheme surpasses MGNREGS at providing “sustainable livelihood” to unskilled workers. The scheme has been used by over 7 crore households (10.43 crore individuals) and generated 330 crore person days up until February 2021 of the current financial year. This statistic marks the highest since the scheme’s inception in 2006.
Migrant Workers and MGNREGS
The report noted that 1.08 crore migrant workers returned home during the pandemic. The lack of reliable data on this workforce and their movement hampered relief and rehabilitation efforts. While the government introduced initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, no concrete guidelines were enforced for the distribution of relief materials to stranded migrant laborers.
Committee’s Suggestions for Improvement
The committee suggested that immediate relief should be provided to address the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. A credible database for unorganized workers, particularly migrant labor, should be installed to ensure seamless delivery of relief packages. In December 2020, the government decided to create a database of migrant workers, which included workers in the informal economy.
About MGNREGS
As one of the largest work guarantee programs globally, MGNREGS was launched on February 2, 2006. The objective is to ensure 100 days of employment each financial year to all adult members of rural households willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work.
Unlike previous schemes, the MGNREGS takes a rights-based approach to address chronic poverty and stipulates that at least one-third of beneficiaries must be women. Beneficiaries should receive wages according to the statutory minimum wages for agricultural laborers as per the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
Demand-Driven Scheme
MGNREGS necessitates that any rural adult requesting work must be provided with employment within 15 days, otherwise an ‘unemployment allowance’ must be given. This demand-driven scheme encourages self-selection of workers.
Decentralised Planning
MGNREGS emphasizes decentralization, assigning significant roles to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in planning and implementing works. Gram sabhas are responsible for recommending and executing at least 50% of the works.
Way Forward
The pandemic has highlighted the need for decentralized governance. Gram panchayats should be given more resources, powers, and responsibilities to sanction works, provide work on demand, and authorize wage payments without delay. Social Auditing can create accountability and promote awareness about government policies and measures in rural areas.