Central Government · Ministry Of Rural Development
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
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Main benefit
Guaranteed 100 days of paid work a year for rural households
Can you get this scheme?
Conditions at a glance
- Area: Village (rural)
- Age 18 or above
About
An employment scheme by the Ministry of Rural Development, providing provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled work. Any Indian citizen above the age of 18 years and residing in a rural area can apply to this scheme. The applicant receives guaranteed employment within 15 days from the date of application.
The wage is deposited directly in the Bank Account / Post Office Account of the applicant. Wages are paid within a week, or fifteen days at most. Men and Women are paid equally. MGNREGA covers the entire country with the exception of districts that have a hundred percent urban population.
Benefits
- The applicant receives guaranteed employment within 15 days from the date of application.
- Work is to be provided within a radius of 5 kilometers of the applicant's residence if possible, and in any case within the Block. If the applicant lives more than 5 km away from the worksite, he/she will be entitled to a travel and subsistence allowance (10% of the minimum wage).
- Wages are paid within a week, or fifteen days at most. Men and Women are paid equally.
- Shade, drinking water, and first-aid are provided at every worksite.
- Exclusive measures for the promotion of the participation of the disabled persons:
- Identification of suitable works
- Mobilization of disabled persons by focussing on awareness and special provisions
- Specifically identified works for disabled persons in the case of large GPsPreference to appoint as mates and as workers for providing drinking water, to manage crèches, etc., at the worksites
- Adoption of tools and equipment/facilities at workplaces
- Treating persons with disabilities with respect
- Special drive to ensure 100 days of employment to such households
- Provide a special job card of a distinct color
- Specific attention and provisions for Senior Citizens: Exclusive senior citizen groups may be formed and special works which require lesser physical effort are identified and allotted to these groups.
- Specific attention and provisions for Internally Displaced Persons:
- A special job card to be provided will be valid till these families are displaced and will lose its validity as soon as they return to their original place of residence.
Who can apply
- The applicant must be at least 18 years of age.
- The applicant must be residing in a Rural Area.
Who cannot apply
- NA
Documents needed
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How to apply
Offline
Online - via CSCsOnline
- 1
The application for registration may be given on plain paper to the local Gram Panchayat. An individual may appear personally before the Panchayat Secretary or Gram Rozgar Sahayak and make an oral request for registration, in which case the particulars required will be noted by the Gram Rojgar Sahayak or the Panchayat Secretary. Application for registration should contain names of those adult members of the household who are willing to do unskilled manual work. Particulars such as age, sex, SC/ST status, Rashtriya Swastha Bima Yojana (RSBY) number, Aadhar number, Below Poverty Line (BPL) status and bank/post office account number (if s/he has opened one) must be provided in the application.
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The Gram Panchayat (GP) will verify the following details: Whether the household is really an entity as stated in the application. Whether the applicant household are local residents in the Gram Panchayat concerned. Whether applicants are adult members of the household. The process of verification shall be completed as early as possible, and in any case not later than a fortnight after the receipt of the application in the Gram Panchayat.
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All particulars of a household found to be eligible after verification, will be entered in the MIS (NREGASoft) by the Panchayat Secretary or the Gram Rojgar Sahayak (GRS) or a person duly authorized by the State Government.
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If a household is found to be eligible for registration, the GP will, within a fortnight of the application, issue a JC to the household. JC should be handed over to one of the members of the applicant household in the presence of a few other residents of the GP. The format of the Job Card is provided in the Annexure-5 of the scheme guidelines. The detailed format for application for registration is provided in Annexure-3 of the scheme guidelines.* Registrations shall be opened throughout the year at the Gram Panchayat (GP) office.* Application for registration must be made on behalf of the household by any adult member.
Common questions
Who Are The Key Stakeholders In MGNREGA?
The key stakeholders in MGNREGA are the following: Wage seekers, Gram Sabha (GS), Three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Programme Officer at the Block level, District Programme Coordinator (DPC), State Government, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Civil Society, Other stakeholders [viz. line departments, convergence departments, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), etc.
Will The Wage Be Paid Monthly, Weekly Or On Daily Basis?
The disbursement of daily wages shall be made on a weekly basis or in any case not later than a fortnight after the date on which such work was done.
What Is Wage Rate For Women Employed For Providing Child Care Services?
The women so employed should be paid remuneration equivalent to the prevailing wage rate.
What Information Will Be Provided In The Wage Slip?
Individual pay slips or wage slips should have the details of wage payments like work ID, wage rate, number of days worked, amount earned by the worker during the week, number of mandays completed per HH and number of mandays of employment due to the households concerned etc. The format of the Wage Slip can be found in Annexure-15 of the scheme guidelines.
How Are The Payments Of Wages Made To The Wage Seekers?
The payment of wages shall, unless so exempted by the Central Government, be made through the individual savings accounts of the workers in the relevant banks or post offices.
Is There Any Authentic Document Required To Open The Wage Seeker Account?
MGNREGS Job Card, duly signed by the concerned officer is an officially valid document for opening a bank account under the Know Your Customer (KYC) norms.
Is there any compensation for delay in payment of wages?
MGNREGA has laid down a detailed procedure for establishing a delay compensation system. As per the system, MGNREGA workers are entitled to receive delay compensation at a rate of 0.05 per cent of the unpaid wages per day for the duration of the delay beyond the sixteenth day of the closure of the MR.
What social security is provided for MGNREGS workers?
The two types of insurance provided under social security exclusively for MGNREGS workers are: (i) Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY): JBY provides life coverage and disability benefits to rural people. (ii) Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY): RSBY has been extended to all Mahatma Gandhi NREGA workers/ beneficiaries who have worked for more than 15 days in the preceding financial year.
Who Is Designated As PO In MGNREGS?
At the block level Executive authorities such as Tehsildar/Block Development Officer are often designated as PO. For blocks that have high concentration of SC/STs/landless labourers and are likely to have more demand for MGNREGA works should have a committed / dedicated PO for MGNREGA. The PO should not be assigned responsibilities not directly related to MGNREGA.
What Is A Job Card?
Job Card is a key document that records workers' entitlements under MGNREGA. It legally empowers the registered households to apply for work, ensures transparency and protects workers against fraud.
Is There Any Pre-Printed Form For Providing Details While Registering For Job Card?
The State Government may make a printed form available as per format prescribed in the relevant Annexures of the MGNREGA Operational Guidelines 2013. However, a printed form should not be insisted upon.
Can All Adult Members Of A Household Register For Job Card?
Yes, all the adult members of a household willing to do unskilled manual work can register themselves to obtain a job card under MGNREGA.