Main Findings: Positive Trends

1
Main Findings Positive Trends

• Increase in Agriculture Miniumum Wages as well as
  wage earned per day and annual income (Source
  IIM Lucknow, NDUAT Faizabad)
• Effective targeting of marginalized groups
  SC/ST/BPL
• IIM Lucknow 85.3 of the beneficiaries
  (out of the sample coverage) belong to BPL, of
  these, 50 belong to Schedule Castes, 44.5
  belong to Other Backward classes
• Finding supported by ASCI and IIM Ahmedabad
  in their studies of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat
  West Bengal
• NREGA is used as a supplementary income source
  during non-agricultural seasons (Source IIM
  Ahmedabad)
• Families having more dependence on animal
  husbandry receive relatively more employment
  (Source IIM Ahmedabad)

2
Main Findings Positive Trends

• Gram Pradhans Gram Sabhas play the most
  important role in generating awareness about
  NREGA (Source IIM Lucknow)
• Districts identified as good performing districts
  on the basis of MPRs/MIS found to be performing
  better than the other districts (source IIM
  Lucknow)
• Work availability increased post NREGA
• The information from MPRs found to be accurate at
  the level of the district (Source IIM Ahmedabad)

3
Main Findings Positive Trends

• Multiplier effects of NREGA
• -Improvement in ground water (Anantapur)
  (Source ASCI)
• - Improved agricultural productivity
  (Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand)
• -Indian Institute of Management (IIM)
  Shillong points out that in Meghalaya NREGA has
  lead to livelihood diversification in rural
  areas.

4
Main Findings Institutional Gaps Other
Constraints

• Oral applications and non-issuance of dated
  receipts in Uttar Pradesh as per the study of
  IIM Lucknow, 88 of the applicants were not given
  receipts
• Applicants not able to get employment within the
  mandated 15 day time frame. IIMA identified non
  availability of shelf of work as the reason for
  employment not being offered in district Dangs in
  Gujarat.
• Poor maintenance of records, including Muster
  Rolls, Job Cards
• Non-availability of NREGS records on request in
  some states
• Limited availability of dedicated NREGA staff

5
Main Findings Areas for Further Research

• Distortions in labor market possible
  non-viability of small farm agriculture since the
  increase in minimum wage has been observed to
  have a positive significant on NREGA employment
  (source IIM Ahmedabad)
• Some states more efficient in creating more
  employment days per job card
• Expenditure per employment day especially on
  non-wage component - turned out to be smaller in
  such states

6
UTTAR PRADESH

• Districts Bareilly, Jalaun, Jhansi, Gorakhpur,
  Kushinagar, Faizabad, Barabanki, Sultanpur,
  Azamgarh, Aligarh
• Institutions IIM Lucknow, ND University of
  Agriculture Technology, Faizabad
• Positive Trends
• Increase in Agriculture Miniumum Wages as well as
  wage earned per day and annual income
• Effective targeting of marginalized groups
  SC/ST/BPL
• 85.3 of the beneficiaries (out of the sample
  coverage) BPL (50 SC, 44.5 OBC)
• Local wage rate increased by 15-20 in the
  surveyed Panchayats
• Increase in availability of work post NREGA
• Gram Pradhan/Sabha play an important in
  generating awareness about the Scheme
• 98 beneficiaries operating through bank accounts
• 91 of the HHs issued Job Cards in 15 days
• 87 of the workers received payment with a
  fortnight
• Institutional Gaps Other Constraints
• Low percentage of workers issued dated demand
  receipts (only 12)
• Low women participation (around 20)
• Record maintenance needs to be improved (updation
  of work done, wage paid etc.)
• Need for more effective grievance and redressal
  mechanism

7
West Bengal

• Districts Bardhman, Birbhum, Malda, Purulia,
  Bankura, Purb Medinipur, Jalpaiguri
• Institutions IIT Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta, IIM
  Ahmedabad
• Positive Trends
• High level of awareness among villagers
• ST/SC/OBC BPL households receive relatively
  more employment
• High participation of women work force
• Around 80 of the workers received payments on
  time
• NREGA is used as a supplementary income source
  during non-agricultural season
• Institutional Gaps Other Constraints
• Some Job Cards without photographs
• Closeness in relation to Panchayats ensures
  employment
• Families having more dependence on animal
  husbandry receive relatively more employment
• High participation of SC/ST/BPL households
• Availability of non-NREGA employment higher
  non-NREGA wages reduce NREGA employment

8
Orissa

• Districts Mayurbhanj, Balasore
• Institutions IIT Kharagpur
• Positive Trends
• Majority of villagers are satisfied with the
  registration process
• Custody of Job Cards Self or Head of the Family
  86
• Local conveyance provided to workers
• Institutional Gaps Constraints
• In Mahisapatta for 40 respondents, job cards
  were with sarpanchs
• In Mohulia and Sinduragaur for 22, job cards
  were with the ward members
• Average waiting time of 31 days for getting work
  after application
• No display of list of ongoing works
• No helpline for grievance redressal
• Mismatch between days entered in the job cards
  versus that stated by the workers
• Discrimination in providing Job Cards

9
Maharashtra

• Districts Akola Thane
• Institutions Central Institute for Fisheries
  Education, Mumbai
• Positive Trends
• Increased opportunity for jobs in Mokhada
• High participation of ST women workers in NREGA
• Financial inclusion aiding in bringing the
  marginalized into the formal banking sector
• At Nashera, Mokhada average employ-ment per HH
  was 102 days under NREGA in 2007-08
• Institutional Gaps Constraints
• Accurate assessment of demand is required to be
  made
• Low salary of Gram Rozgar Sewaks
• Worksite facilities need to be provided
• Muster Roll verification needs to be done more
  regularly
• Unemployment allowance not given
• Delay in payment of wages

10
Andhra Pradesh

• Districts Adilabad, Guntur, Anantpur
• Institutions Administrative Staff College of
  India
• Positive Trends
• 55 participation of SC/ST
• High level of NREGA awareness (70 of the sample)
• Anantapur district reported improvement in ground
  water
• Adilabad district, NREGA has helped improve the
  functioning of Gram Panchayats
• Improved agricultural productivity
• Stemming of distress migration
• Schematic convergence with NHM, MIP, Housing,
  ITDAs and DRDAs
• Media publicity leading to increased transparency
• Institutional Gaps Constraints
• Some beneficiaries noted wage payment with a wait
  of more than 15 days
• Provision of unemployment allowance needs to be
  strengthened
• Participation of Gram Panchayats and intermediate
  PRIs remains marginal
• Sustainability of the assets

11
Uttarakhand

• Districts IIT Roorkee
• Institutions Haridwar, Tehri Champawat
• Positive Trends
• 25 higher wages for women as compared to
  pre-NREGS
• Work provided closer to residential areas
• Decision making power within household increased
  for women
• Digging of ponds, desiliting of channels taken up
  for the first time
• Increase in crop productivity in low lying
  agricultural land drainage of excess rain water
• Deputy POs, with MBA qualification, appointed in
  both the blocks
• Institutional Gaps Constraints
• Low awareness among workers and NREGA
  functionaries
• Job Cards not in possession of the workers in a
  majority of cases (of the sample surveyed)
• No receipts for job applications
• Record maintenance and custody of Job Cards
• Feasibility of wage payment through accounts
• No Social Audits conducted
• Quality of assets created

12
Meghalaya

• Districts South Garo, East
  Khasi, West Garo East Garo Hills, Ri Bhoi
• Institution IIM Shillong
• Positive Trends
• 95 of the local people happy with the choice of
  works
• In 50 of the cases, the quality of work does not
  look satisfactory
• Muster Roll entries match Job Cards in 100 of
  the cases
• Wage payment within 15 (82 of sample) equal
  wage rate
• Financial and social empowerment of women Min.
  of 30 representation in VEC.
• Reduction in distress migration
• In all places, GRS, VEC and AEC members have all
  been trained
• Ensuring of Environmental, Social and cultural
  sustainability. ( Ex. works on terrace
  cultivation, creation of AEC and VEC and
  inclusion of women therein )
• Creation of social capital and reduction in moral
  hazard in rural society
• Convergence with line Departments like RD,
  Horticulture, Irrigation
• Institutional Gaps Constraints
• 80 of the cases the measurement of work is not
  done on time
• 40 of the AEC and VEC members and 90 of the
  wage seekers not aware
• Villages surveyed had only two approved shelf of
  projects ready to start
• Inadequate worksite facilities
• Only one Technical assistant for the whole block

13
Sikkim

• District North, East South Districts
• Institution IIM Shillong
• Positive Trends
• 95 of the local people happy with the choice of
  works
• 95 of the workers agreed that the banks and post
  office is present within 5 km from their village.
• In all cases, the muster rolls are properly
  maintained
• There is no evidence of contractors and middle
  men
• 45 of the people agreed that they are able to
  purchase new assets for their home because of
  working in NREGA
• Institutional Gaps Other Constraints
• 100 of the workers are facing the problem of
  long delay in the payments.
• 60 of the people say that there is no indication
  of payment details in muster roll.

14
Karnataka

• DistrictsHassan, Chitradurga, Shimoga, Devangere
• Institution University of Agricultural Sciences,
  Bangalore
• Positive Trends
• Increase in annual mean income post NREGA in all
  the districts
• Increase in number of annual working days in all
  districts
• Increase in number of bank accounts opened
• Good practices Change of work timings -7 AM to
  2-30 PM (Soraba)
• Institutional Gaps Other Constraints
• Full time dedicated staff for NREGA required
• Record maintenance needs to be improved
• Delay in Payment (20 days-Arasikere)
• MIS not updates
• No entries in Job Cards in Chitradurga district

15
Nagaland

• Districts Kohima, Mokochung, Wokha, Tuensang
• Institutions Nagaland University
• Positive Trends
• High level of awareness about NREGA
• Agriculture wage more than NREGA wage
• Wages paid within 15 days
• In a majority of the cases Muster Rolls were read
  out during wage payment
• Increase in work availability
• Institutional Gaps Constraints
• Inadequate staff
• Inadequate training