The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, (NREGA) was notified on September 7, 2005. The objective of the Act is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

Adult members of a rural household, willing to do unskilled manual work, may apply for registration in writing or orally to the local Gram Panchayat. The Gram Panchayat after due verification will issue a Job Card within 15 days of application. The minimum days of employment have to be at least fourteen. Employment will be given within 15 days of application for work, if it is not then daily unemployment allowance as per the Act, has to be paid liability of payment of unemployment allowance is of the States. Work should ordinarily be provided within 5 km radius of the village. In case work is provided beyond 5 km, extra wages of 10% are payable to meet additional transportation and living expenses. Wages are to be paid according to the Minimum Wages Act 1948 for agricultural labourers in the State, unless the Centre notifies a wage rate, which will not be less than Rs. 60/ per day. Equal wages will be provided to both men and women. Wages are to be paid according to piece rate or daily rate. Disbursement of wages has to be done on weekly basis and not beyond a fortnight in any case At least one-third beneficiaries shall be women who have registered and requested work under the scheme.

Work site facilities such as crèche, drinking water, and shade have to be provided. The shelf of projects for a village will be recommended by the gram sabha and approved by the zilla panchayat. At least 50% of works will be allotted to Gram Panchayats for execution. A 60:40 wage and material ratio has to be maintained. No contractors and machinery is allowed. The Central Government bears the 100 percent wage cost of unskilled manual labour and 75 percent of the material cost including the wages of skilled and semi skilled workers. Social Audit has to be done by the Gram Sabha. Grievance redressal mechanisms have to be put in place for ensuring a responsive implementation process. All accounts and records relating to the Scheme should be available for public scrutiny

NREGS focuses on the following seven works:

1. Water conservation and water harvesting;
2. Drought proofing, including afforestation and tree plantation;
3. Irrigation canals, including micro and minor irrigation works;
4. Provision of irrigation facility, plantation, horticulture, land development to land owned by households belonging to the SC/ST, or to land of the beneficiaries of land reforms, or to land of the beneficiaries under the Indira Awas Yojana/BPL families
5. Renovation of traditional water bodies, including de-silting of tanks;
6. Land development; flood-control and protection works, including drainage in waterlogged areas; rural connectivity to provide all-weather access.
7. Any other work that may be notified by the Central Government in consultation with the State Government.

Please contact the relevant department.
 

Contact

Mr. D.K. Jain , JS (MGNREGA)
Phone: 011-23385027,23384703
Fax-011-23384703
Ministry of Rural Development
Krishi Bhavan, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, New Delhi