After Shunning It Earlier, Modi Govt. Now Promotes MNREGA
The Modi government, which has called the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) a memorial of failure, has now begun promoting it.
The government has decided that apart from the sanctioned budget, it will spend an additional Rs 40,000 crore on MNREGA under this head. The reason for this is providing employment to daily-wage labourers returning from cities to their villages and buttressing the rural economy. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had made a 13% deduction in the budget for MNREGA for the financial year 2020-21. At that time, she had announced Rs 61,500 crore for MNREGA whereas in the financial year 2019-20, this budget was more than Rs 71,000 crore. Under MNREGA, the country’s labourers have the legal right to get employment for 100 days. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded that the number of days when they can get employment should be increased from 100 to 200. However, there are several states where labourers are getting work for less than 50 days and the wages being paid are also less than the minimum daily wages. According to data, in the year 2018-19, labourers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar got employment for an average of 42 days. In Madhya Pradesh 52 days, in Rajasthan 57 days and in West Bengal, labourers were provided employment for an average of 77 days. The lowest daily wages (Rs 171) were given in Bihar. In Madhya Pradesh Rs 176, in Uttar Pradesh Rs 182, in West Bengal Rs 191 and in Rajasthan Rs 199 was given as daily wages. The Anup Satpathy Committee Report had recommended that labourers should be given a minimum wage of Rs 375. Among the states where the highest wages were paid under MNREGA are Haryana and Kerala. In Haryana, Rs 284 and in Kerala Rs 271 was given as daily wages.
The government has decided that apart from the sanctioned budget, it will spend an additional Rs 40,000 crore on MNREGA under this head. The reason for this is providing employment to daily-wage labourers returning from cities to their villages and buttressing the rural economy. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had made a 13% deduction in the budget for MNREGA for the financial year 2020-21. At that time, she had announced Rs 61,500 crore for MNREGA whereas in the financial year 2019-20, this budget was more than Rs 71,000 crore. Under MNREGA, the country’s labourers have the legal right to get employment for 100 days. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded that the number of days when they can get employment should be increased from 100 to 200. However, there are several states where labourers are getting work for less than 50 days and the wages being paid are also less than the minimum daily wages. According to data, in the year 2018-19, labourers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar got employment for an average of 42 days. In Madhya Pradesh 52 days, in Rajasthan 57 days and in West Bengal, labourers were provided employment for an average of 77 days. The lowest daily wages (Rs 171) were given in Bihar. In Madhya Pradesh Rs 176, in Uttar Pradesh Rs 182, in West Bengal Rs 191 and in Rajasthan Rs 199 was given as daily wages. The Anup Satpathy Committee Report had recommended that labourers should be given a minimum wage of Rs 375. Among the states where the highest wages were paid under MNREGA are Haryana and Kerala. In Haryana, Rs 284 and in Kerala Rs 271 was given as daily wages.
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