Published on Mar 04, 2023
Thozhilurappu Card : The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment (Thozhilurappu Padhathi) Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) notified on September 7, 2005 mandate to provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The programme is demand driven.
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The Phase I of the Scheme was notified in 200 districts of the country on 2nd of February 2006. Wayanad and Palakkad districts were included in the first phase of implementation. Subsequently, Idukki and Kasargod districts were included in the second phase notified as on 1.4.2007. As on 1.4.2008, the Scheme was extended to the remaining districts.
The core objectives of the Scheme are the following:
· Providing not less than one hundred days of unskilled manual work as a guaranteed employment in a financial year to every household in rural areas as per demand, resulting in creation of productive assets of prescribed quality and durability
· Strengthening the livelihood resource base of the poor
· Proactively ensuring social inclusion
· Strengthening Panchayat raj institutions.
Subsequently, Idukki and Kasargod districts were included in the second phase notified as on 1.4.2007. As on 1.4.2008, the Scheme was extended to the remaining districts.
The State right from inception has taken several bold steps to ensure quality and accountability in the implementation of the Scheme as follows:-
· Hundred percent implementation of the Scheme is at the Grama Panchayat level
· Each worker is required to open a Bank/Post office/Cooperative Bank Account and the wages are credited to the worker account. There is no joint account
· Each ward is having a Vigilance and Monitoring Committee (V & MC) to oversee the implementation of the Scheme
· The Grama Panchayat Secretary is the registration officer under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. The GP Secretary is assisted by an Assistant Secretary (in 864 GP out of the total 978 GPs) in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. In addition, the accountant and one section clerk in the Grama Panchayat fully deals with the day to day affairs of the Scheme at the GP level. Further, each Grama Panchayat is having two Village Extension Officers who are also supporting the GP Secretary in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. In order to support the Grama Panchayat Secretary, data entry operator cum accountants and Engineers/Overseers are provided on contract for a period of one year which can be extended by the GP. The selection of the contract staff vests upon the concerned GP.
· Hundred percent mates are women
· Presently the State is utilizing the services of reputed training institutes like SIRD, KILA, ETCs, IMG, etc. for conducting training programmes in a cascading method. The State utilizes the service of self-help groups (Kudumbashree) and neighbourhood groups for interpersonal communication to create awareness among rural people regarding Mahatma Gandhi NREGS
· Government directed all Grama Panchayats to publish the Citizens Charter. The Charter should clearly spell out the responsibilities of the GP and the services available to the workers
· All estimates are required to be prepared in the local language and should be demystified so that anybody can understand the provisions in the estimate
· Government of Kerala notified the Grievance Redressal Rules under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS
· Help Line is available in the District and State HQ
· In the State, right from 2008 onwards, Government introduced a unique methodology in the preparation of Labour Budget and Shelf of Projects which starts from the Neighbourhood Groups
· Government of Kerala, as per Notification No. 22595/DD2/2009/LSGD dated 12.05.2009 issued the Kerala State Employment Guarantee Council Rules, 2009
· During the previous years, the State pioneered a few Evaluation studies. In the year 2010 11, Tata Institute of Social Sciences published the Evaluation of the Scheme titled ‘An Evaluation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA in Kerala'
· The State developed its own system to address the issue of Delay in Payment of Wages. A Delay Compensation Mechanism is now developed which is under consideration of Government.
For more information, visit: www.nregs.kerala.gov.in
