Gandhiji promoted to Ramji

Free Thinker *

To provide rural employment in India, Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) was started in 1989 . Then Jawahar Ji (Nehru) was elevated to Gandhiji in 2005 with the launching of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) . Gandhiji is now promoted to Ramji , with the passing of VB G-Ram-G bill by Parliament.

This acronym stands for Vikshit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission - Gramin.

Actually the national rural employment program was started in a big way in the year 1989 with the introduction of the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY). Its primary objective was to give wage-based employment to unemployed and under-employed persons in rural India; and also to create some durable community assets.

This JRY was the culmination and combination of two earlier programs – the Rural landless Employment Guarantee Program (RLEGP) and the National Rural Employment Program (NREP).The noble aim of this national scheme was to uplift the rural poor.

Then in the year 2005 the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) was launched. It provided 100 days of employment in a year to the unskilled rural folks (in every household) and created durable assets in the rural setting. Priority was given to women, equal wage, timely wage payment, durable asset creation, social audit and accountability etc.

A few days back Parliament converted MGNREGA into G-RAM-G . The most crucial aspect of this new law is that it provides a legal guarantee of 125 days of employment in a year to every rural household. It also provides for an unemployment allowance in case employment is not provided within 15 days of application.

G Ram G encourages close Union –State relationship – sharing financial burden. Earlier in MGNREGA the financial responsibility was 90:10 - Centre and State . Now encouraging federalism and giving more responsibility to the rich states the fiscal responsibility is made 60:40 ( 60 % for the Centre) .

In other words the expenditure for this rural employment of 125 days for the rural poor will be borne together by the Centre and State. For the poor NE States, the Centre-State share still stands at 90:10.

Ten percent is still a big burden for the poorer states like Manipur. Even during Gandhi ji's NREGA the state was struggling to provide the matching amount. For that 10 percent a lot of juggleries, I mean, adjustments had to be performed. This matching amount may be waived for the poor NE States as done in the case of UTs without Assemblies. Full funding for the NE and hilly states will be a great thing for G Ram G.

Forty percent for the rich States is not going to be a problem; all the affluent states will manage, provided that 60 percent is paid regularly by the Centre.

But one issue remains to be addressed, if the states fail to provide the legally assured employment – obviously the judiciary will take a lenient view considering the facts and circumstances of the concerned state. In fact the unemployment allowance (in case employment is not provided within 15 days of application) may cause some turbulence in the states.

Under MNREGA the payments are to be made within 15 days. However under G Ram G the payment will be weekly. If payments are not made within a maximum of 15 days, the workers are entitled to receive compensation at the rate of 0.05% of the unpaid wages per day of the delay beyond 15 th day.

Now, there will be National Level Steering Committee and State Level Steering Committee .The National Level Steering Committee will recommend decisions relating to normative allocation to States, and the State Steering Committee will provide operational guidance. Earlier the main authority for planning and implementation of the scheme was at the Panchayat and District level.

Under this new scheme Manipur will have an added advantage because it provides that during natural calamities or extraordinary circumstances the State Government can ask for special operational relaxation like increasing or decreasing the number of days of work and also augmenting or reducing the wage etc. Since Manipur is under extraordinary circumstances all the time, the State will have the liberty to implement the scheme at its own will within the operational paradigm. But the basis and argument should be solidly drafted.

Under G Ram G the creation of durable assets pertains to mainly 4 areas – water security (extremely relevant for Manipur), core rural infrastructure , livelihood related assets, and dealing with extreme weather conditions. Moreover the scheme will be operated within a comprehensive digital ecosystem particularly for planning and monitoring – wage leakage will be minimal.

The scope for ghost workers and fake attendance shall be effectively dealt with in this digital platform. After the work is done, wages are to be given weekly or at least within a fortnight. Otherwise, penalty!

One should not be annoyed when Gandhiji is promoted to Ram ji. Mahatma himself was a great devotee of Sri Ram ; he passed away uttering ‘Hey Ram’ . Since Ram ji is now linked with Vikshit Bharat certainly India will become an advanced nation by 2047. G Ram G.