NREGA comes to the rescue of drought-hit rural India

NEW DELHI: The Centre’s rural job scheme proved crucial in the dry months of April-June this year, underlining its importance as a source of alternate income during

NEW DELHI: The Centre’s rural job scheme proved crucial in the dry months of April-June this year, underlining its importance as a source of alternate income during distress for rural India.

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The 12 drought-hit states generated 79% of the total work done under the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) schemes this financial year. The biggest share of those jobs was done between April and June, when large parts of the country reeled under rain-less heat.

Question marks were raised over the future of the MGNREGA when the BJP came to power. A section of the ruling party was critical about the assured job plan — enacted during the UPA’s regime — and the scheme even faced budget cuts. But things have changed.

“PM Narendra Modi repeatedly instructed us to ensure timely wage payments and creation of long-term assets in the job scheme. More than 75% workers get payment on time this year, so in the summer, people could fall back on MGNREGA to earn money,” said a senior rural development official.

The Centre’s focus on generating jobs in summer was such that the rural development ministry had to seek additional money for MGNREGA in the supplementary demands for grants in the monsoon session of Parliament.

When the rains came, there was a drastic fall in MGNREGA work.