Question : MGNREGS and Poverty Eradication

(a) the estimated percentage of rural men and women working under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), State/UT-wise;

(b) whether the Government is aware that as per a study by the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS), MGNREGS has contributed to almost a third of the poverty eradication in the country and ranked as the best known employment guarantee scheme providing direct jobs to the rural poor;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether any steps are being taken by the Government to streamline, plug the loopholes, increase the wages/mandays and strengthen MGNREGS to include more poor people who are deprived; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)


(a): State/UT-wise estimated percentage of rural men and women working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) are at Annexure.

(b)&(c): Yes, Madam. The Government is aware of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (sponsored by Indian Human Development Survey) study report that estimates the poverty reduction due to Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.

The Report on ''Poverty reduction due to MGNREGA’ states that:

• MGNREGA’s contribution to reducing poverty is about 32%. In the absence of MGNREGA-induced consumption, poverty among the participants would have been 38.0% in 2011–12, not 31.3%.

• MGNREGA prevented 14 million persons from falling into poverty (those non-poor in 2004–05 who would have become poor by 2011–12 without MGNREGA employment).

• In spite of a high initial poverty rate (75.8% in 2004–05), poverty among adivasis was reduced by 27.6% and for dalits by 37.6%.

• MGNREGA is more effective in poverty reduction in less developed areas (34%) than in more developed areas (27%)

• Low-participating areas experienced much greater poverty reduction (72%) than areas with a high participation rate (27%).


(d)&(e): To generate awareness about the provisions of the Scheme and to provide adequate employment opportunities to rural households including poor people under MGNREGA, all States/UTs have been requested for the following: -

(i) to initiate appropriate Information Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns including wall paintings for wide dissemination of the provisions of the Act.

(ii) to expand scope and coverage of demand registration system to ensure that demand for work under MGNREGA does not go unregistered.

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