Launched on 2nd February 2006 as a momentous initiative towards pro-poor growth. For the first time, rural communities have been given not just a development programme but also a regime of rights. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (NREGA) guarantees 100 days of employment in a financial year to any rural household whose adult members are willing to do unskilled manual work
This work guarantee also serve other objectives: generating productive assets and skills thereby boosting the rural economy, protecting the environment, empowering rural women, reducing rural urban migration and fostering social equity, among others. The Act offers an opportunity to strengthen our democratic processes by entrusting principle role to Panchayats at all levels in its implementation and promises transparency through involvement of community at planning and monitoring stages.
The adult members of every household should submit their names, age, sex and address to the Gram Panchayat for registration. This registration will be valid for five years and is open for the whole year. Gram Panchayat will do the verification of details submitted by household for registration.
Gram Panchayat will then issue a job card, having photographs of adult members of registered household. It will be valid for five years and will have a unique registration number.
To get employment, the registered adult should apply on a plain paper in writing to Gram Panchayat or Programme Officer (at block level) and ask dated receipt of application. The application should be submitted for at least 14 days of continuous work. Besides, application in advance can also be submitted, indicating the date from which he/she wants employment under the Scheme
Employment will be provided to the individual, within 15 days of submitting the application, if employment is not provided, then the applicant would be entitled to receive unemployment allowance as per laid down terms and conditions.
