Why in news
Workers protested in Delhi, demanding action on issues like delayed wages, deletion of job cards, and insufficient funding for MGNREGS.
Issue
Between April and September 2023, around 84.8 lakh workers were removed from the MGNREGS, while only 45.4 lakh new workers were added, resulting in a net loss of 39.3 lakh workers.
A major issue is the government’s push to link MGNREGS payments to Aadhaar.
This has led to many workers' names being deleted, especially if their Aadhaar details didn’t match their job card or bank account information.
Workers, who rely heavily on MGNREGS for income but are unable to get work due to their job cards being deleted.
Many are unaware of the reasons for the deletions.
Workers who have been deleted are struggling to reapply for job cards, and the process can take months.
New cards also require the old Aadhaar link to be delinked, adding complexity.
The app-based attendance system, which is used to mark workers’ presence, often fails due to poor internet connectivity, leading to workers not being paid for the days they worked.
MGNREGA Scheme
MGNREGA is one of the largest work guarantee programmes in the world launched in 2005 by the Ministry of Rural development.
It provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage.
Active workers: 14.32 Crore (2023-24)
Major Features:
The cornerstone of MGNREGA's design is its legal guarantee, ensuring that any rural adult can request work and must receive it within 15 days.
If this commitment is not met, an "unemployment allowance" must be provided.
It requires that priority shall be given to women in such a way that at least one-third of the beneficiaries shall be women who have registered and requested for work.
Section 17 of the MGNREGA has mandated Social audit of all Works executed under the MGNREGA.
Implementation Agency:
The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments.
Objective:
This act was introduced with an aim of improving the Purchasing Power of the rural people, primarily semi or unskilled work to people living below poverty line in rural India.
It attempts to bridge the gap between the rich and poor in the country.
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