Employment of women under MGNREGS

As per reports received from the States participation of women who got employed under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is 50% during the current year (2010-11) so far which is well above the minimum prescribed under the Act. The participation by women under the Act was 48% each during 2008-09 and 2009-10. Para 6 of Schedule-II of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA provides that priority shall be given to women in such a way that at least one-third of the beneficiaries shall be women who have registered and requested for work under the Act. This information was given by Shri Pradeep Jain “Aditya”, Minister of State for Rural Development in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

The house was also informed that the Government has received complaints from rural people regarding wages paid under the scheme. Maximum complaints have been received from Uttar Pradesh, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Mahatma Gandhi NREGA provides for a legal guarantee for up to 100 days of wage employment to every rural household in every financial year for doing unskilled manual work on demand. The Act further provides that work has to be provided to an applicant within 15 days of the demand failing which unemployment allowance becomes payable. Therefore, funds available with the States have to be kept upfront in order to meet any sudden spurt in the labour demand in an area. Funds under the Act are released to the States after they have utilized atleast 60% of the available resources. Performance of the States is regularly reviewed by the Ministry in the Performance Review Committee (PRC) meetings which are held on quarterly basis and also in the Empowered Committee meetings while finalizing the Labour Budgets of each State.