Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Jammu, 180006
Online published on 18 June, 2013.
The main distinguishing characteristics of the scheduled castes are their rurality, illiteracy, economic backwardness like lower income, higher indebtness, fewer assets, etc and social retardation like low status. During the last six decades several schemes have been initiated for the upliftment of the weaker section particularly for scheduled castes. These schemes aim to provide additional and seasonal employment and also supplement their income. One such scheme which central government has launched for rural areas is MGNREGA.
The MGNREGA was launched on February 2nd, 2006 in 200 districts of the country. In Jammu division is been sanctioned for the district of Poonch and Doda in the first instance, in second phase it was introduced in Jammu and samba districts and in third phase extended to all the remaining 6 districts of Jammu division of J&K state. The scheme is expected to enhance people's livelihood on sustained basis by developing economic and social infrastructure in rural areas, attacking the cause of chronic poverty such as drought, deforestation and soil erosion. In this study we are attempting to analyze the economic impact of MGNREGA on income and employment on Scheduled castes of Jammu Division. For this we have selected following objectives
To estimate the employment generated by MGNREGA for scheduled castes in Jammu division
To assess its impact on their income.
To analyze the types of works executed under MGNREGA.
For this study secondary data has been used from the Ministry of rural development. Data pertaining to number of household registered, job card issued, employment demanded, employment provided, fund allocation and utilization, type of work executed etc were collected from the ministry of rural development at the district level. For this primary data has also been collected from the study area to see the impact of scheme in their household economy, The data was analyzed by using simple statistical tools like averages, ratios and percentages. In this paper it is found that in Jammu division, all most in every district scheduled castes registered families have not issued job cards. The Scheduled caste households have been issued highest number of job cards in Jammu followed by Kathau, Udhampur, Samba, Doda and Reasi and lowest percentage of job cards have been issued in poonch district. The number of person days of work generated for the scheduled caste is highest in Jammu district in 2011–12. This paper has also identified the Poonch district where no person-days of work generated for the scheduled castes during the reference period. The MGNREGA, whose one of the main objective was to provide employment to the rural poor has miserably failed in providing employment to them. It has also realized from the data that during 2007-20011 in Jammu district, 59,414 job card holders demanded jobs under the scheme but only 102 were provided. The rest 59, 312 were entitled to the unemployment allowance under the provisions of the scheme but not a single penny was provided to them. In number of cases, it is found that payment not paid after the completion of the work. The comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India report has found around 50 percent works not been either taken up or completed during past four years and has found embezzlements in rest of the works. Among the works completed, maximum pertains to rural connectivity. Projects like conservation, water harvesting, and irrigation facility occupied negligible place. It shows that Jammu division districts are slow in MGNREGA implementation. But no doubt, despite all these short comings those scheduled castes that are benefited from MGNREGA their economical status has improved to some extent.
To make the scheme more effective for scheduled castes in J&K, involvement of SCs people is needed in the creation of muster rolls, disbursement of funds etc and setting public vigilance committees for ensuring proper purchases, monitoring works etc. This scheme generates employment for only 100 days which is temporary solution of the poverty and unemployment, but we want a permanent solution for the problem.
