The Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme

The scheme aims to provide economic support to the poor and needy families living in the cities through work to be provided on demand for 100 days a year.
It is on the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Eligibility:
- Those aged 18 to 60 years residing within the limits of urban local bodies are eligible to demand and get employment in the identified segments.
- There is no income limit.
The categories of tasks:
- The tasks to be carried out under the scheme have been clubbed mainly under eight heads. Some of these are:
  - Environmental protection
  - Water conservation
  - Heritage conservation
  - Cleanliness and sanitation-related works
  - Waste management
Wages:
- The wages will be paid at the rate of ₹259 a day to unskilled labourers and ₹283 a day to skilled labourers.
- On top of the labourers, the supervisors will get ₹271 a day.

MGNREGA is a law enacted in 2005.
The MGNREGA provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage.
Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD)

MGNREGA guarantees a hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
Individual beneficiary-oriented works can be taken up on the cards of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, small or marginal farmers or beneficiaries of land reforms or beneficiaries under the Indira Awaas Yojana of the Government of India.
Within 15 days of applying or from the day, work is demanded, wage employment will be provided to the applicant.
Right to get unemployment allowance in case employment is not provided within fifteen days of applying or from the date when work is sought.
The Gram Panchayaths can take up a variety of permissible works.
MGNREGA focuses on the economic and social empowerment of women.
A social audit of MGNREGA works is mandatory, which lends to accountability and transparency.
MGNREGA works to address the vulnerability of climate change, protect farmers from such risks, and conserve natural resources.
The Gram Sabha is the principal forum for wage seekers to raise their voices and make demands. The Gram Sabha and the Gram Panchayat approve the shelf of works under MGNREGA and fix their priority.

Pic Courtesy: Business Today

Content Source: The Hindu