“GUARANTEED simple assurance is the reason the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has emerged as the world’s largest social safety net against rural unemployment. The demand for the scheme, designed under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005, is such that budgetary allocation for MGNREGS has increased tenfold since it was first implemented in 200 districts—to ₹110,500 crore in 2020-21 from ₹12,000 crore in 2006-07. The past financial year saw a huge spike in expenditure due to the covid-19 pandemic: the ₹110,500 crore was spent against a budget allocation of R61,500 crore. As wage-earners returned to their villages from cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Panjim, Mangaluru and Bengaluru, MGNREGS came to the rescue of these workers. In Karnataka alone, the person-days of work generated during April-June 2020 were 44 million, compared to 36 million during the corresponding months in 2019. The number increased to 47.1 million during April-June 2021. In the absence of MGNREGS, gram panchayats would have found it challenging to deal with so many unemployed people in villages.
But MGNREGS does not provide only social safety nets. Over the years, it has also emerged as an invaluable vehicle for rural transformation and a significant support for local governments. Let’s understand the ways MGNREGS supports gram panchayats through the example of Karnataka.
Denne historien er fra October 16, 2021-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra October 16, 2021-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
