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Lesson 40:National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme

Features of NREG Scheme

1. State Governments to provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
2. Until such time as a wage rate is fixed by the Central Government, the minimum wage for agricultural labourers shall be applicable for the scheme.
3. An applicant not provided employment within fifteen days, to be entitled to a daily unemployment allowance as specified by the State Government subject to its economic capacity, provided such rate is not less than a quarter of the wage rate for the first thirty days during the financial year and not less than a half of the wage rate for the remaining period of the financial year.
4. Central Employment Guarantee Council to be constituted to discharge various functions and duties assigned to the Council. Every State Government to also constitute a state council for this purpose.
5. Panchayat at district level to constitute a Standing Committee of its members to supervise, monitor and oversee the implementation of the scheme within the district.
6. For every Block, State Governments to appoint a Programme Officer for implementing the scheme.
7. Gram Panchayat to be responsible for identification of the projects as per the recommendations of the Gram Sabha and for executing and supervising such works.
8. Central Government to establish a National Employment Guarantee Fund. State Governments to establish State Employment Guarantee Funds for implementation of the scheme.
9. The scheme to be self-selecting in the sense that those among the poor who need work at the minimum wage would report for work under the scheme.