Fundamentals of Extension Education

National Rural Employment Programmes (NREP)

• The NREP was launched in 1980 with a view to significantly increase employment opportunities in rural areas. This was viewed as a major step towards poverty alleviation. The NREP replaced the food for work (FFW) programme.

Objectives
• Generation of Additional gainful employment for unemployed and under employed persons (Both men and women) in rural areas.
• Creation of productive community assets for direct and continuing benefits to the poor.
• Improvement in the overall quality of life in the rural areas.

Two main functions of NREP
• Creation of a large quantum of man days of work per year for the unemployed and under employed in rural areas, and
• Creation of durable community assets to strengthen infrastructural facilities in rural areas.

Features of NREP
• In all works under NREP, preference was given to landless labour.
• Among landless labour, preference was given to SC's/ST's for employment.
• Main provisions relating to works under NREP was that it was not permitted to engage contractors.
• Wages were paid partly in cash and partly in food grain 1-2 kg/day/head
• DRDA were responsible for the entire works relating to planning, implementation, coordination and monitoring of NREP.
• NREP was a centrally sponsored programme with equal sharing of the expenditure by the centre and the status.
• NREP provide training to the personnel in the implementation of the programme.