Ten years ago the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) ushered in a paradigm shift in the development of the nation and there have been several significant achievements over the past decade, yet, certain issues in implementation remain.
Social activists Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey, associated with the People’s Action for Employment Guarantee (PAEG) on Tuesday said: “Ten years of the MGNREGA should have been a time for celebration. However, the anniversary is marked by a continuing struggle for the release of funds.”
“We were expecting the Finance Minister to announce the release of at least Rs. 3,000 crore — the balance of the amount promised in his budget speech. However, this announcement was not made, and today the MGNREGA faces a negative balance of funds in 14 States,” they said.
The Finance Minister had, in his budget speech in February 2015, promised an additional Rs. 5,000 crore, and though the funds with the Ministry of Rural Development have depleted, only Rs. 2,000 crore of the Rs. 5,000 crore have been released.
The inability to provide money required as per work demand is a blatant violation of law, the activists said.
