About National Rural Employment Gurantee Act:

Question : What is the aim of this Act?
Answer : The Act aims to enhance livelihood security of the rural households by providing them guaranteed wage employment in unskilled manual work.

Question : What are the salient features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act?
Answer : Following are the salient features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act:-
a) Historic Act. For the first time in the history of India, every rural household will have right to livelihood through guaranteed 100 days of employment in a financial year at their own place.
b) Right to demand work. Every household will have right to demand 100 days employment from the government. Thus, it is demand driven scheme and not supply driven as the earlier wage employment scheme.
c) Unemployment Allowance. If State Government failed to provide 100 days employment on demand to any household then compensation will be paid by the State Government to the eligible applicants subject to household entitlement in terms of un-employment allowance as per rates prescribed.
d) Selection of works by villagers. Villagers themselves, not officials, will decide through Gram / Ward Sabha, the priority works to be taken up to develop their village from amongst the permissible works.
e) Priority to women. Women will have priority in the scheme for allocation of employment and 1/3rd of the employment will be provided to them.
f) Complete transparency. There will be complete transparency in the scheme and wages will be paid in full public view. For example, muster rolls will no longer be secret and budget and works will be in public knowledge.
g) Ban on contractors. Contractors will not be permitted under the scheme.
h) Pivotal Role of Panchayats. Panchayats at all levels will play pivotal role in planning and implementation of the scheme.
i) Work site facilities for Labourers. Under the scheme, a number of facilities will be provided at work-site. Besides, there are provisions for free medical treatment in case of injury at worksite and compensation in case of death or permanent disability of labourers.

Question : Who will be benefited under the NREG Scheme?
Answer :
a) Every household in rural areas, whose adult members are willing to do unskilled manual work.
b) Villages will be able to create durable community assets which will enhance the livelihood resource base of the rural poor.
c) Panchayati Raj Institutions will be empowered financially and administratively.

Question : How NREG Scheme is different from earlier wage programmes?
Answer :
a) It provides legal guarantee for employment to the rural people.
b) People’s participation, transparency and accountability have been given prime focus.
c) It is demand driven scheme, while earlier wage programmes were supply driven.
d) Under this Scheme 100 days of works is guaranteed, while in earlier schemes the employment depended on allocation of funds.

How the Scheme will work?

Registration of applicants and employment:

Question : What is eligibility for employment?
Answer : Every household in rural areas whose adult members are willing to do unskilled manual work is eligible for employment.

Question : What is the procedure for getting employment?
Answer : The adult members of every household are to submit their names, age and address for registration to the Gram Panchayat, who are duty bound to register them after making such inquiry as it deems fit. This registration will be valid for five years.

Question : How the households will know they have been registered:
Answer : After registration, every household will be issued a job card.

Question : Whether employment will be provided automatically after registration / receiving the job card?
Answer : No. The registration / job card means only the entitlement for employment. But to get employment, the registered adult should request for it through an application in writing to Gram Panchayat or Programme Officer and ask dated receipt of application. The application is to be submitted for at least 14 days of continuous work.

Question : If some one is already employed but wants work under the Scheme immediately after completing his/her current work, then what is the procedure?
Answer : In this case applicant should submit advance application stating the date from which he/she wants work.

Question : For how many days one applicant can get employment?
Answer : There is no limit on the number of days of employment for which a person may apply or provided employment, subject to the aggregate entitlement of his/her household.

Question : Can number of people together give one application for employment?
Answer : Yes, The group application can be submitted.

Question : After giving application when implement will be provided?
Answer : Within 15 days of submitting the application or the date from which employment is sought, whichever is later, employment will be provided. If in any case that is not provided, then the applicant becomes eligible for un-employment allowance.

Question : Who will allocate employment opportunities to labourers?
Answer : The Gram Panchayat will allocate employment opportunities to labourers.

Days and Type of employment:

Question : Whether every adult members of a household will get 100 days employment?
Answer : No. Only the household as a whole will get 100 days employment, These days can be split among adult members.

Question : If any adult is already working for a few months in a year, can he/she also get employment under the scheme?
Answer : Yes, he/she can also get employment subject to the condition that he/she is willing to do unskilled manual work and also subject to household entitlement of 100 days employment in a financial year.

Question : Is there guarantee for skilled, semi-skilled employment also under the scheme?
Answer : No. Under the scheme guarantee will only be for unskilled manual work. However, implementing agency may employ semi-skilled and skilled workers necessary for execution of projects.

Provisions for women:

Question : Whether women will get priority for employment?
Answer : Yes, They get priority and 1/3rd among labourers will be women.

Question : Whether women will get same wages as men or less?
Answer : Same wages shall be given to women and men. There is no discrimination against women labourers.

Question : If any women has small children, can they accompany the mother, when she goes for work?
Answer : Yes. Shades shall be provided at work site for the children below the age of six years accompanying the women labourers.

Question : Who will look after these children in shades?
Answer : If there are five or more such children accompanying the women labourers at work site, one women labourer shall be deputed to look after the children and she shall be paid full wages.

Wages and payments:

Question : What wages would be paid to the labourers?
Answer : Minimum wages fixed for agricultural labours by the respective state governments will be paid as wages under the Schemes till such time that the Central Govt. specifies wage rate which will not be less than rupees 60 per day per person.

Question : How the wages will be paid? In cash or kind?
Answer : Wages will be paid fully in cash or partly in cash and partly in kind. However, minimum 25% of wages shall be paid in cash.

Question : When the wages will be paid?
Answer : Wages are to be paid on weekly basis and in any case not later than 15 days.

Question : Is these any possibility to get wages on daily basis?
Answer : There is a provision for paying a portion of the cash wages on daily basis.

Question : How transparent will be payment?
Answer : There shall be complete transparency in payment of wages, as all payments of wages in cash and unemployment allowance shall be made directly to the person concerned and in the presence of independent persons of the community on pre-announced dates.

Question : If employment is not provided in village and applicant travels to the work site, then who will give the travel expenses?
Answer : If employment is provided beyond 5 km radius of the applicant’s residence then he/she is entitled for 10% additional wages towards the transport and living expenses.

Un-employment allowance:

Question : Who will get un-employment allowance?
Answer : If the eligible applicant does not get employment within 15 days of demand of work or the date from which he has sought work, whichever is later, he shall be provided unemployment allowance.

Question : What amount will be paid as un-employment allowance?
Answer : The rate of unemployment allowance will be 1/4th of the wage rate for the first 30 days and ½ of the wage rate after that during the financial year subject to the household entitlements.

Question : If employment is not provided, for how many days the applicant will get unemployment allowance?
Answer : The applicant is entitled to get unemployment allowance, if the employment is not provided, for such period that the household of the applicant has not earned as much from the wages and unemployment allowance taken together as is equal to wages for 100 days of work during the financial year.

Facilities at worksite:

Question : What kind of facilities will be provided to labourers at work site?
Answer : At work-site, safe drinking water, shades for children, periods of rest and first aid box shall be provided.

Question : What happens if any labourer gets injured at work site?
Answer : If any labourer gets bodily injured during the course of employment at work-site, the person is entitled for free medical treatment from the state government.

Question : If injured labourer needs hospitalization, then who will bear the cost?
Answer : In case of hospitalization of the injured labourer, the respective state government shall provide complete treatment, medicines, accommodation without any charge and shall pay daily allowance to the injured person, which shall not be less than ½ of wage rate applicable.

Question : What happened if any labourer dies or gets permanent disability due to some accident/other reason at work-site?
Answer : In case of death or permanent disability to the registered labourer due to accident/other reasons at work-site, an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 25,000 or such amount as may be notified by the central government shall be paid to the legal heir of the deceased or to the disabled as the case may be.

Gram Sabha & Panchayati Raj Institutions:

Question : What is the role of Gram Sabha?
Answer : The Gram Sabha will recommend works to be taken up under the scheme to the Gram Panchayat. The Gram Sabha will monitor all the projects taken up in the jurisdiction of the Gram Panchayat and conduct social audit.

Question : What is the role of Panchayats in the Scheme?
Answer : Panchayati Raj Institutaions (PRIs) have pivotal role in the Scheme. The Village, Intermediate and District Panchayats shall be the principal authorities for planning and implementation of the scheme made under the NREG Act.

Question : Can PRIs be the implementing agencies?
Answer : PRIs at all levels can be the implementing agencies under this Scheme.

Question : What is the role of Gram Panchayats?
Answer :
a) The Gram Panchayats have many responsibilities under the Scheme. They will register the eligible adults of every household under its jurisdiction and issue job cards.
b) The Gram Panchayat shall be responsible for identification of the projects to be taken up in its area under the scheme as per the recommendations of the Gram/ward Sabha and the same shall be forwarded to programme officer for scrutiny and preliminary approval.
c) The Gram Panchayat shall prepare a development plan and maintain shelf of possible works to be taken up under the scheme as and when demand for work arises.
d) The Gram Panchayat shall allocate employment opportunities among the applicants and ask them to report for work.
e) At least 50% works in terms of cost will be allotted to Gram Panchayats for implementation.

Question : What is the role of the Intermediate Panchayat?
Answer : The Intermediate Panchayat shall approve the block level plan and forward the same to District Panchayat for approval. The Intermediate Panchayat will also supervise and monitor the works taken up at the Gram Panchayat and Block levels.

Question : What is the role of District Panchayat?
Answer : The District Panchayat shall finalise and approve block-wise shelf of projects to be taken up for implementation under the scheme. The District Panchayat will also supervise and monitor the projects taken up at Block level and District level.

Involvement of Government Officials:

Question : What would be the involvement of Government officials in the Scheme?
Answer : The Officials at the district and block levels will be involved in the implementation of the scheme.

Question : Which official will be responsible for implementation of the scheme at the Intermediate Panchayat level?
Answer : An officer of the level of Block Development Officer will be appointed at each Intermediate Panchayat level under this Act. He will assist the Panchayat at the intermediate level. He will be called Programme Officer.

Question : Will Programme Officer not be an over-burdened official with many other responsibilities in the Block?
Answer : The Programme Officer will be appointed only for the implementation of this scheme and cost of his salary and that of his supporting staff will be borne by the Central Government.

Question : What would be responsibilities of Programm Officer?
Answer :
a) The Programme Officer shall prepare the block plan after consolidating the project proposals prepared by the Gram Panchayats and the Intermediate Panchayats.
b) He will match the demand for employment with the employment opportunities and will be responsible for paying the unemployment allowance.
c) He will also be responsible for monitoring of projects, dealing with complaints and ensuring regular social audit.
d) He will assist the Panchayat at the Intermediate level.

Question : Whether there will be any government official at district level?
Answer : Yes, An official at district level will be given responsibility to coordinate the programme in the district and he will be called District Programme Coordinator (to be designated by the state government).

Question : Whom can the State Government designate as the District Programme Coordinator?
Answer : The Chief Executive Officer of the District Panchayat, the Collector or any other officer of equivalent rank can be designated as the District Programme Coordinator by the State Government.

Question : And what would be responsibilities of the District Programme Coordinator?
Answer :
a) The District Programme Coordinator shall be responsible for implementation of the scheme and will assist the District Panchayat in discharging its functions.
b) He/she will co-ordinate with various agencies involved in the implementation of the Schemes.

Monitoring:

Question : Who will monitor the programme for effective implementation?
Answer : Monitoring will be done at many levels which includes Panchayats at Intermediate and District levels, District Programme Co-ordinator and Programme Officers.

Question : Does Gram Sabha also be responsible in monitoring the implementation of projects?
Answer : Yes. Monitoring of all projects under the jurisdiction of Gram Panchayat will be done by the Gram Sabha along with Social Audit. It will include those projects also which are not implemented by the Gram Panchayat.

Question : Whether any state or central level agencies will be involved in monitoring?
Answer : Yes. Monitoring will also be done by the Employment Guarantee Councils at the Central and State levels.

Question : What are these councils?
Answer : A high powered employment Guarantee Council will be set-up at Central and State level for effective implementation of the Scheme.

Type of work under the scheme:.

Question : What kind of assets will be created under the Scheme?
Answer : An important objective of Scheme is to create durable assets and strengthen the livelihood resource base of the rural poor, so that the rural poor will have means for sustenance in future also.

Question : Then what kind of works are permissible under the Scheme?
Answer : In their order of priority the following works are permitted:-
a) Water conservation and water harvesting.
b) Drought proofing, including afforestation and tree plantation.
c) Irrigation canals including micro and minor irrigation works.
d) Irrigation facilities for land owners by household belonging to SC/ST or to land of beneficiaries of land reforms or that of the beneficiaries under the Indira Awas Yojana.
e) Renovation of traditional water bodies, including de-silting of tanks.
f) Land development.
g) Flood control and protection of works, including drainage in water logged areas.
h) Rural connectivity to provide all-weather roads.
i) Any other work, which may be notified by the Central Government in consultation with State Governments.

Finances:

Question : How the funding will be done in the Scheme?
Answer : Under the NREG Act the Central Government is legally committed to provide 90% of funds for implementation of the Scheme and the remaining 10% funds will be contributed by the state governments.

Question : Out of the total funding what is a ratio for wages and material component?
Answer : A total 60% of funds will be utilized for meeting the cost of unskilled wages and 40% for materials component of the works including the cost of wages of semi-skilled and skilled labourers under the scheme.

Question : How the Central government funds will be used?
Answer : The Central Government will provide funds for:-
a) Entire wage bill for unskilled manual labourers.
b) Upto 75% of the material cost of the scheme including payment of wages to skilled and semi-skilled workers for execution of projects.
c) The expenses of the salary of the Programme Officers and his supporting staff.

Question : And what about use of State government funds?
Answer : State Governments shall meet the cost of:
a) One-fourth of the material cost of the scheme including payment of wages to skilled and semi-skilled workers for execution of projects.
b) The cost of unemployment allowance payable, if any, under the scheme.

Question : Will any Funds dedicated to the Scheme be created?
Answer : A National Employment Guarantee Fund will be created at the Central Government level. The States may also create State Employment Guarantee funds.