Critical evaluation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA): Standing Committee on Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (2021-2022)
Observing that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a last “fall-back” option for many in the rural areas, a Parliamentary committee has recommended increase in guaranteed days of work from 100 to 150 under the rural job guarantee scheme. The recommendation comes at a time when the job scheme has become a safety net for migrant workers who returned to their villages during Covid-19, and the demand for work under it reached an all-time high in the last financial year. In its report, which was tabled in Lok Sabha, the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, also said that the budgetary allocation of a scheme of “such enormous magnitude” should be done in a more “pragmatic manner” so that there is no dearth of funds in mid-year and flow of funds for payment of wages and material share is maintained seamlessly.
