MGNREGA - A step towards meeting the challenges of inclusive growth: A study of six states

The paper is based on a nationwide research study undertaken by Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi as the Lead Institute, on Management of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: Issues and Challenges sanctioned by AICTE under its Nationally Coordinated Project (NCP) Scheme.

The study was carried out in six states in association with Giri Institute of Development Studies, Uttar Pradesh; Center for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad; Madhya Pradesh Institute of Social Science and Research, Bhopal; Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad; Nabakrushna Choudhury Center for Development Studies, Bhubaneshwar; and Lal Bahadur Shastri Research Center for Public Policy and Social Change, Delhi as Partner Institutions.

The main objectives of the study were to examine the key process of and the institutional set up for implementation of NREGA and its provisions, implementation pattern, gaps, problems & impact of NREGA in creating additional employment and livelihood. Data was collected from 21 Districts falling in the Phase I of NREGA, 43 Blocks and 108 villages consisting of 1960 participant households and 1420 non-participant households. Some of the findings of the study on aforesaid objectives have been discussed in the paper.

MNREGS has been under implementation for the past four years and has demonstrated varying degrees of success across the country. Evidence points towards a positive trajectory of the programme meeting its objectives. However, its success, like that of many other poverty reduction and employment generation programmes, will depend a lot on its effective delivery. Examination of planning and implementation has thrown up very interesting issues, which vary across the selected sites. Some practices universal in nature need to be institutionalized for effective planning and implementation of NREGS though location-specific planning and implementation.

In terms of certain performance indicators of NREGS, it has been noticed that there are wide interstate variations as well as inter-district variations within a state. Also, for realising the potential of a poverty reduction programme, such as NREGS, awareness generation is perhaps the key to effective planning and implementation of the programme, not only to create conditions for articulation of demand for work but also for facilitating participatory and decentralized planning.