RECOMMENDATIONS:-

1. Regulation of job cards: Offences such as not recording employment related

information in
job cards and unlawful possession of job cards with elected PRI representatives
and MGNREGA functionaries
should be made punishable under the Act.

2. Participation of women: Since the income of female workers typically raises the
standard of living of their
households to a greater extent than their male counterparts, the participations
of women must be increased through
raising awarness about MGNREGA.

3. Participation of people with disabilities: Special works (projects) must be

identified for people with disabilities;
and special job cards must be issued and personnel must be employed to ensure
their participation.

4. Utilisation of funds: The Committee found that a large amount of funds allocated
for MGNREGA have remained unutilised. For
example, in 2010-11, 27.31% of the funds remained unutilised. The Committee
recommends that the Department of Rural
Development should analyse reasons for poor utilisation of funds and take steops
to improve the same.
In addition, it should initiate action against officers found guilty of
misappropriating funds under MGNREGA.

5. Context Specific projects and convergence: Since states are at various stages of
socio-economic development, they have varied
requirements for development. Therefore, state governments should be allowed to
undertake works that are pertinent to their context.
There should be more emphasis on skilled and semi-skilled work under MGNREGA. In
addition, the Committee recommends a greater
emphasis on convergence with other schemes such as the National Rural
Livelihoods Mission, National Rural Health Mission, etc.

6. Payment of unemployment allownce: Dated receipts for demanded work should be

issued so that workers can claim unemployment allowence.
Funds for unemployment allownce should be met by the central government.

7. Regular: National Level Monitors (NLMs) are developed by the minsitry of Rural
development for regular and special monitoring of MGNREGA
and to enquire into complaints regarding mis-utilization of funds, etc. The
Committee recommends that the frequency of monitoring by NLMs
should increase and appropriate measures should be taken by mandatorily be held
every six months. The Committee observes that the performance
of MNGREGA is better in states with effective social audit mechanisms.

8. Training of functionaries: Training and capacity building of elected

representatives and other functionaries of PRIs must be done regularly
as it will facilitate their involvement in the implementation of MGNREGA.

CHALLENGES:-

1. Fabrication of job cards: While as many as 12.5 crore households have been
issued job cards out of an estimated 13.8 crore rural households (as per the 2001
census),
there are several issues related to existence of fake job cards, inclusion of
fictitous names, missing entries and delays in making entries in job cards.

2. Delay in payment of wages: Most states have failed to disburse wages within 15
days as mandated by MGNREGA. In addition, workers are not compensated for a delay
in payment of wages.
A study by Azim Premji University has found that 78 percent of payments were not
made on time, and as many as per guidelines which is 0.05 percent day of the wages
earned.
In FY17 alone Rs 11,000 crore of wages remained unpaid to workers. only 32
percent of the payments in the first two quarters of FY17-18 were made on time.

3. Non-payment of unemployment allownces: Most states do not pay an unemployment

allowance when work is not given on demand. The non-issuance of dated receipts of
demanded work
prevents workers from claming an unemployment allowance.

4. Large number of incomplete works: There has been a delay in the competition of
works under MGNREGA and inspection of projects has been irregular. Implementing
agencies were able to
complete only 98 lakh works out of 296 lakh works. Shows, a large percentage of
works remain incomplete under MGNREGA and the work completion rate appears to be
decreasing in recent years.

5. Insufficient fund allocation: Budget allocation over the years has been
insufficient. The fund that centre allocates during the budget proves to be
inadequate and more funds are sought
by the rural development ministry to finance MGNREGA. The results in delay in
payments which adversely affects workers.

6. Corruption: In 2012, a scam was uncovered in Karnataka where 10 lakh fake job
cards were detected which resulted in Rs 600 crore losses to the exchequer. In
2018, Rural Development and Panchayath
and Panchayath Raj (RDPR) report pointed out that in just one financial year
FY18, 596 cases were registered against officials and non-officials for violation
of rules and guidelines. Criminal cases were filed
against 85 individuals (middlemen) while 306 government officials were suspended
from service, 3 lost job in karnataka. Rural workers complain that funds that are
sacntioned for public works are going into the pockets of middlemen.

SALIENT FEATURES OF MGNREGA:-

(i) Right based framework: All adult members of a rural household willing to do
unskilled manual work have the right to demand employment.

(ii) Time bound guarantee of empoyment: Employment will be provided by the GP

within 15 days of work application, else unemployment allowance will be paid and
household may avail to 100 days of guaranteed employment in a financial year,
depending on its need.

(iii) Permissible works Water conservation: drought proofing(including plantation

and afforestation), flood protection, land development, minor irrigation.

(iv) Labour intensive works: A ratio 60:40 will be maintained between wage and
material and contractors/machinery is not permitted. Wages wiil be paid at the wage
earners though their bank/post office accounts. Payments of wages to be made in
every week and in any case not later than a fortnight.

(v) Decentralization: Gram Sabha (local community) will recommend works to be

taken up and Gram panchayaths will execute at east 50% of work.
(vi) Women empowerment: Atleast one-third of the workers should be women and
equal wages will be provided to both men and women.

As per the research conducted by the team of IRMA (2010), in their study identified
four major types of work executed or implemented under the MGNREGA as given below:

Water convertion.
1. Irrigation channel.
2. Water tank.
3. Water storage unit.

Land development.
1. Playground development.
2. Protection wall.
3. Land terracing.
4. Constuction of shed.

Plantation and Afforestation.

1.Orange Plantation.
2.Orange rejuvenation plantation.
3.Bamboo plantation.
4.Tree plantation.

Road connectivity.
1. Footpath development.
2. Major-able road development (katcha work).