MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme):

This programme was originally started in 2005 as NREGA. Under this programme, one member of each rural household shall be given 100 days employment in a year. The person should be willing to work for unskilled job. If the government fails to provide employment to a person within fifteen days, he would be getting unemployment allowance in lieu of that. National Food for Work Programme (NFWP) has also been merged with MNREGA.

• Prime Minister Rojgar Yojna was launched in 1993.
• Rural Employment Generation Scheme was launched in 1995.
• Swarnajayanti Gram Rojgar Yojna was launched in 1999.
• All the previous employment programmes have now been replaced with MNREGA.

The results of these programmes have been mixed. However, MNREGA has helped in arresting the tide of migration from rural areas. It has also helped in improving the wages in rural areas.