Gestión de territorios, de ciudades y del mundo rural

The paper makes a case for using the NREGA, in India, into an effective development tool. While listing its development opportunities, the paper flags off the many challenges for it.

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005, or NREGA, in India, was brought into force by the Union government in February 2006. The Act is far-reaching in its intent and scope. It is the first nation-wide employment scheme that guarantees employment legally to India’s rural population. Naturally, it has generated intense speculation and interest.

It comes at a time when the rural economy has collapsed due to sustained out of focus policies. While it has the immediate challenge of addressing the unemployment in rural areas, its long-term challenge is to contribute to village economy in sustained way. Effective implementation of the Act requires that labour-intensive works be planned for the needy poor on a continuous basis; that the right kind of assets are undertaken to promote the development of the local/regional economy; and that the labour-absorbing capacity of the mainstream economy be raised and assets maintained well and used productively to generate benefits for the poor, as well as to promote pro-poor economy growth.

The NREGA is being implemented in 200 most backward districts of 27 states in the country — socio-economically, the most challenging areas in India (see Annexure I). It guarantees 100 days of unskilled jobs per rural household. More importantly, the Act aims at eradication of extreme poverty and at making villages self-sustaining through productive assets creation (such as water tanks and soil conservation works). This is meant to regenerate the rural natural resource base, which in turn will result in sustainable livelihoods for residents. The Act puts Panchayati Raj Institutions (the third tier of government in India i.e the village level) at the helm of affairs — beginning with identifying the eligible households to planning the works to be undertaken. The government has referred to it as an “Act of the people, by the people, and for the people”.

But is the Act living up to its scope and potential? In the last 10 months, 410,742 works have reportedly been implemented under the Act. According to the Union rural development ministry’s figures, more than 13.6 million people — above one percent of India’s total population — have been given jobs under the Act. Encouraged by this initial response to the Act from rural areas, the Union government has initiated the process to expand its scope to other districts in the coming months.

Source: CSE India

Documentos

An Ecological Act: A backgrounder to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)
EN 34p.

Ilustración: lecercle