Recently, the Centre has notified a 3-10 per cent increase in the wage rates for MGNREGA workers for the financial year 2024-25. The new wage rates will come into effect from April 1, 2024.
Launched: 2005
Objective: To provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development.
Type of scheme: Centrally Sponsored Scheme
Beneficiaries: All family members who are above 18 years of age and live in a rural area.
Coverage: The entire country except districts with 100% urban population.
Fund sharing pattern:
- By Centre:
- 100% funding for unskilled labour cost.
- 75% for the material cost.
- By State:
- 25% for the material cost
- Cost of unemployment allowance payable under the Scheme.
Key Features:
- MNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to rural households whose adult members willingly do unskilled manual work.
- Individual beneficiary-oriented works can be carried out on the cards of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, small or marginal farmers or beneficiaries of land reforms or beneficiaries under the Indira Awas Yojana of the Government of India.
- Wage employment will be provided to the applicant within 15 days of submission of the application or on the day the demand for work is made.
- Right to receive unemployment allowance if employment is not received within fifteen days of submission of application or from the date of demand for work.
- Receipt of wages within fifteen days of work.
- Various types of permitted works that can be done by the Gram Panchayat.
- MNREGA focuses on the economic and social empowerment of women.
- MNREGA provides “green” and “decent” work.
- Social audit of MNREGA works is mandatory, which brings accountability and transparency.
- MNREGA works address climate change vulnerability and protect farmers from such risks and conserve natural resources.
- Gram Sabha is the main platform for wage seekers to raise their voice and make demands.
- It is the Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat that approve the shelf of works under MNREGA and decide their priority.
Other key features:
Social Audit: Gram Sabha will conduct regular social audit of all the projects undertaken within the Gram Panchayat (GP) under the scheme.
JanMNREGA: It is a tool to get feedback on MNREGA assets from citizens.
Project 'Unnati': To provide skills to MNREGA beneficiaries so that they can move from current part-time employment to full-time employment.
Eligibility Criteria:
- One must be a citizen of India to avail MNREGA benefits.
- The job seeker must have completed 18 years of age at the time of application.
- The applicant must be part of a local household (ie the application must be made to the local Gram Panchayat).
- The applicant must volunteer for unskilled labour.