Employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is provided on demand. The household holding a valid Job Card has to, under Para 9 of Schedule II of the Act, submit application for work to be entitled to receive employment. Number of days of employment availed by a household under the Act also depends on the availability of other employment opportunities in an area. A worker is free to avail any other employment opportunity available to him.
The average number of days of employment provided per household was 42 days during 2007-08; 48 days during 2008-09 and 54 days during 2009-10
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA provides a legal guarantee for atleast 100 days of wage employment to every rural household in every financial year for doing unskilled manual work on demand. As employment under the Act is provided on demand no targets, as such, can be fixed.
Awareness generation among rural population about their legal rights under the Act has been taken up through intensive IEC activities using print as well as electronic media.
This information was given by Shri Pradeep Jain ‘Aditya’ Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.