IMPACT OF NREGA ON AGRICULTURAL LABOUR FORCE IN THOOTHUKUDI DISTRICT INTERVIEW SCHEDULE A. Primary Information 1. Name of Beneficiary: Contact: 2. Village Name Village Code 3. Ward Name Ward Code 4. Block Name Block Code 5. Gender : Male: Female: 6. Name of the Work : 7. Work Code : 8. Is the beneficiary aware of the NREGA scheme? Yes.., No. 9. When did the scheme start? Month Year.. 10. Job card Number :
Family Details Total Number of members Number of Literate members Number of Class X pass and above Number of Graduates and above Number of illiterate members A B C D E 11. Adults male 12. Adultsfemale 13. Minor -Boys 14. Minor- Girls 15. Number of earning members in the family : Male : [ ] Female : [ ] a. Agri-Labour b. Non agri-labour c. Own framing 16. Current Main income source? d. Small shop e. Livestock Farming f. Government Scheme g. Salaried/ Contract h. Other ( Specify) 17. What was the income source before NREGA was introduced? (Multiple answers) a. Agri-Labour b. Non agri-labour c. Own framing d. Small shop e. Livestock Farming f. Government Scheme
18. Does Beneficiary have own land? Yes, No.. If no,than go to 19 19. If yes, how much. ACRES [ ] Rented Room.. Ekra Mud. 20. The type of house wall the beneficiary is having Stone Mud.. Wooden Plan.. Ekra Cement. Stone Cement.. Brick Wall. 21. Does beneficiary have irrigation facility? Yes... No.. B. About NREGA 22. Do you know about NREGA? Yes... No. 23. From which source did you come to know about NREGA? 1. Gram Panchayat 2. Media 3. Poster 4. Gram Rozgar Sahayak 5. Others (Specify)
24. When did you apply for the job card? Month : Year : 25. After application, with in how many days did you receive the job card? Number of days : 26. From which source you are getting information about NREGA work? 1. Gram panchayat 2. Poster 3. Key informatory 4. Key stakeholders 5. Gram Rozgar sahayak 6. Other (Specify) 27. Are you aware about NREGA Planning? 28. Are you involved in NREGA Planning? 29. Are you getting work against demand? Yes..No. Yes..No Yes..No 30. If no, give the reason : 31. After your demand, the Gram Panchayat is providing work in a how many days? Number of days : 32. If it is more than 15 days, please ask the respondent about the reason for the delay:
33. Are you working in the village you are living? Yes.No. 34. If no, give the reason : 35. How many family members are working in NREGA scheme? Male.. Females 36. How many days of employment were given to you in the last year under NREGA? Numbers 37. How many days of employment are given to you this year? Days 38. Do you think you need more that 100 days employment From this scheme? Days. 39. You are working for which activity? (Multiple Choices Possible) 1. Flood control 2. Water conservation 3. Road 4. Foot path 5. MGNREGA Dhara Vikas 6. Gutter (drain) 7. Land Development 8. Plantations 9. Others (Specify)
40. How many government departments are working under NREGA in your village? 1. Agriculture 2. Forest 3. Horticulture 4. Irrigation 5. Others (Specify). 41. Did you get any unemployment wages in case you didn t get the job within 15 days of the time demanded? Yes.. No.. 42. What is the per day wage given to you under NREGA? Rupees per day: 43. How the wage money is paid to you? 1. Cash 2. Bank account transfer 3. Post office 4. Check 5. Others (specify) 44. Within how many numbers of days the payments is received?
45. Are you giving payment on time? Yes.. No If yes, go to 48. If no, then answer the next question 46. If no, give reason Before the scheme After the scheme 47. What was the total yearly family income? Rs. Rs. 48. How many members are migrating to other places for earning their livelihood? Number before NREGS: Number after NREGS: C. Wage Impact 49. How do you spend the wage money received from NREGA? 1. On good food 2. On children education 3. Paid back loan 4. Bought new/old things for household use 5. Renovated the house 6. Health related expenditure 7. Buying things for agriculture 8. For Irrigation work 9. New Insurance policy 10. Shares 11. Others(Specify) Note Any Further comments from the Respondent Here:
50. Do you believe that the NREGS assets created in your village have helped you and others in the village generate some additional income? If yes, how? Please provide details. D. Overall suggestions/ views on the schemes: 51. How do you like/dislike this scheme? 52. How does this type of scheme help as a livelihood option? 53. Do you have any suggestions for improving this scheme? 54. Do you have any other livelihood option in your mind? 55. Are you interested in working under NREGS? Why? 56. (A) Are there people in the village who do not have the job card but are interested in working under NREGA? (B) If yes, then what are the reasons for not having job cards? (If No, then go to the next question) Yes.. No..
57. Are notices related to NREGA scheme etc put up in Panchayat offices regularly? 58. Are any facilities provided at the work site? If yes then what are they? 59. Is work always given within 5km of the village? If not then do you get extra wages 60. Are aged/disabled people also employed under NREGA? If yes, then what kind of jobs are usually assigned to them?
APPENDIX: SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE Summary of the roles and responsibilities of the key agencies Elected local government Public administration (appointed by state government, with recruitment at the district, block or village level) Administrative level Distirict (Zilla) Block (taluk) Village (gram) Central government State District (zilla) Block (taluk) Block (taluk) Village (gram) Source: India, Ministry of Rural Development (2008) Agent/agency Zilla panchayat (or zilla parishad) Taluk Panchayat Gram panchayat Ministry of Rural development Central Employment Guarantee Council State government State Employment Guarantee Council District program coordinator Technical Resource Support group Block program officer (previously block development officer) Junior engineer Block program officer (previously block development officer) Junior engineer Employement guarantee assistant Responsibility under NREGA Preparation of district plans and labor budget. Monitoring and supervision of REGS activities. Identification of priority areas of REGS activities. Consolidation of the gram panchayat plans at the block level into a block plan. Proposal, scrutiny, and approval of district plan REGS activities. Monitoring and supervision of REGS activities. Identification of priority areas of REGS activities. Proposal, scrutiny, and approval of respective REGS projects. Execution, monitoring, and auditing of gram panchayat-funded REGS activities. Nodal agency for NREGA implementation. Resource provision and assessment of resource use and NREGA process and outcomes. Review, monitoring and evaluation of NREGA-related activities. Formulating of REGS. Review, monitoring and evaluation of REGS activities. Resource allocation and administrative, financial and technical support to local government tiers. Overall responsibility for REGS implementation. Scrutiny and approval of the plan proposals of all taluk panchayats; consolidation of a district plan proposal. Release and utilization of funds. Monitoring and supervision of REGS activities. Performance assessment of employment guarantee assistant. Assessment of the technical feasibility and cost efficiency of district plan REGS activities. Supervision and evaluation of REGS work implementation. N REGA co-ordinator at the block level. Technical sanction/approval of the gram panchayat annual plan of REGS activities. Submission of a consolidated statement of approved block-level proposals to the taluk panchayat. Performance assessment of employment guarantee assistant. Monitoring and supervision of REGS activities, including the implementation of a social audit by the gram sabhas. Assessement of the technical feasibility and cost efficiency of district plan REGS activities. Supervision and evaluation of REGS work implementation. NREGA coordinator at the block level. Technical sanction/approval of the gram panchayat annual plan of REGS activities. Submission of a consolidated statement of approved block-level proposals to the taluk panchayat. Performance assessment of employment assistant. Monitoring and supervision of REGS activities, including the implementation of a social audit by the gram sabhas. Assessment of the technical fesibility and cost efficiency of district plan REGS activities. Supervision and evaluation of REGS work implementation. Monitoring of REGS work implementation at the village level and maintenance of REGS-related documents. Responsible for the process of registration, distribution of job cards, work allocation wage payments, etc.
ISSN 2320-9461 COMMERCE TIMES International Research Journal of Commerce November 2013 IMPACT OF MGNREGA ON AGRICULTURAL LABOUR FORCE IN THOOTHUKUDI DISTRICT Dr. R.Natarajan 1 & J.Dasnavis Jeyanthi 2 1 Associate Professor, Department Of Economics, V.O.C.College, Thoothukudi 2 Research Scholar, Department Of Economics, V.O.C.College, Thoothukudi Abstract The 200 backward districts, identified by the planning commission will pose majo challenges to the implementation of the MGNREGA because of their special problems. They are the least developed areas of the country comprising mostly marginal farmers and forest dwellers. In many of these districts poverty has increased despite consistent focus of several poverty eradication programs. This paper studies about the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme. Keywords: Planning Commission, Farmers, Forest Dwellers INTRODUCTION Measuring Of Backwardness EAS Sarma, who was then principal advisor to the planning commission, the committee used a composite method with differing weights for parameters such as Incidence of Poverty, Education, Health, Water Supply, Transport and Communications and the degree of Industrialization. The National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) notified on 7 th September, 2005 aims at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every households whose adult members volunteers to do unskilled manual work. The choice of works suggested in the act addresses causes of chronic poverty like drought, deforestation and soil erosion, so that the process of employment generation is maintained on a sustainable basis. The act was implemented in a phased manner. In phase one it was introduced in 200 of the most backward districts of the country, an additional 130 districts were included in phase two 2007-2008 and the remaining 274 rural districts were brought under NREGA in phase three 2008-2009. The basic features of the scheme include. The scheme has certain inbuilt safeguard to ensure that the money is spent on labor equivalent works and it reaches the targeted beneficiaries. Contractors are banned in the implementation of the programs. It is mandatory to spend at least hundred percentages of the funds for the payment to the laborers. Priority is given to laborer intensive projects like watershed development, social forestry, and wasteland reclamation. Literature Review The impact of MGNREGA on the economy is not uniform throughout the country. On some of the aspects it has created a position impact on the households in terms of female participation rates and increase in the number of days of employment (Reetika, Khera, Nandhini Nayak). In his study observed that the participations of women in MGNREGA is high in states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were at
the top and UP were at the bottom. For many of the men (45%) and women (55%) MGNREGA becomes the only sources of income, women constituted 46% of all persons working in 2007-2008. MGNREGA Tamil-Nadu MGNREGA in Tamil Nadu, the scheme was launches on 02-02-2006 and was initially implemented in six districts. From 01-04-2007, four more districts were covered by the scheme. From 01-04-2008, the scheme was extended to twenty more districts. The works taken up in the programme included. Formation of new ponds. Renovation of existing ponds, Kuttais, Kulam, oranies and temple tanks etc Desilting of Channels. Desilting and strengthening of ponds of irrigation tanks, Formation of new roads and Other water conservation/ soil conservation measures/ flood protection measures. Statement of the Problem Among several programmes launched by the Union Government, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has been effective. The budget proposes to expand this programme to cover all 596 rural districts with an allocation of Rs.16,000 crore. This is a welcome step, which will go a long way in eliminating rural employment problem is eliminated the productive energy gets channelized, which in turn, augments the country s productivity in more than one
way. India being a very large repository of human resource much more needs to be done in engaging them productively. In this context and attempt is made here to focus issues relative MGNREGA in Thoothukudi District. Objective of MGNREGP Programme: The following points are of National Rural Employment Guarantee To ensure food security of rural households through providing guaranteed employment which can increase purchasing power of the rural people. To provide employment to all adult resident of villages To enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by generating wage employment. To build physical assets and infrastructure in the rural areas. To social equality and preventing rural migration. Methodology The present study is empirical in nature using primary data. Five Blocks that is Thoothukudi, Srivaikundam, Udangudi, Alwarthirunagari, Tiruchendur from Thoothukudi Districts. Were selected is for this study. Hundred samples Randamly selected with 20 respondents from each block, to get information recording nature of work, hours of work, mode of payment nature of family, other sources of income, awareness about the scheme, problems in getting job card, etc by administering a schedule. The secondary data recording estimated amount, number of manned day s generated, total expenditure, and number of household s benefited etc have been obtained from the respective block of this district.
Table 1 SEGMENTATION OF INCOME (BLOCK WISE) Annual Income Below- 12000 12000-24000 24000-36000 Alwarthirunagari 16 3 - - 36000-48000 Srivaikundam 4 12 2 1 Thoothukudi 10 9 8 4 Tiruchendur 12 2 - - Udangudi 3 4 10 - Total 45 30 20 5 Source: Primary Data Table 1 shows the block wise income level of MGNREGA workers. In Alwarthirunagari block the majority of 16 respondents receive income below Rupees 12000 per year. Only 3 respondents having income level of Rupees 12000-24000. In this case of Srivaikundam block 3 respondents having income level of 24000-48000. Thoothukudi block a significant percentage workers under all categories. In Tiruchendur block majority of respondents having income level of less than 24000 per year. In Udangudi block in income level of MGNREGA workers case is less than Rupees 36000 per year.
Table 2 Job cards issued within a month Were job cards issued within one month of registration Yes No No Idea Alwarthirunagari 16 2 1 Srivaikundam 20 1 0 Thoothukudi 18 4 0 Tiruchendur 12 3 6 Udangudi 6 8 3 Total 72 18 10 Source: Primary Data The table 2 presents the Job card issue to the MGNREGA workers within a month. In five blocks 72% of the respondents set that they have receive the job cards within a month 18% of the respondents are not able to within a job card in specified t Table - 3 Awareness- Information Sources How did you come to know about the Act Friends/ Neighbours GP Notice board Gramasabha Members Others Alwarthirunagari 7 2 11 1 Srivaikundam 2 8 6 1 Thoothukudi 1 12 2 2 Tiruchendur 5 22 3 1 Udangudi - 6 3 5 Total 15 50 25 10 Source: Primary Data
In table 3 Indicates the awareness created by different sources above the MGNREGA scheme. 15% of the respondents obtained the information from friends and neighbours 50% of the respondents through regularly watching Grama Panchayat notice board 25% of the respondent know the information above the MGNREGA scheme through Grama Sabha members the remaining 10% from others. Table 4 Kinds of Jobs Taken by MGNREGS Workers Different kinds of jobs taken by you under MGNREGS One Two Three Four Five& above Alwarthirunagari 4 14 2 1 2 Srivaikundam 6 3 4 5 3 Thoothukudi 8 8 3 2 - Tiruchendur 7 6 2 4 - Udangudi 2 7 1 1 5 Total 27 38 12 13 10 Source: Primary Data The table 4 presents the work undertaken by MGNREGA workers 27% of the workers undergoing a single work, may be Road works, 38% in case been two types of work that is Road works and cannot being 12%. 35% of the workers engaged in multiple works.
Table 5 Utilization of MGNREGA Income Utilization Pattern No. of family Percentage Good food 62 62 Children s education 15 15 Buy things for household use 7 7 Paid back loan 10 10 Total 100 100 Source: Primary Data Table 5 Reviews the utilization income from MGNREGA works. It is observed work the majority of 62% of workers spend on Good food. 15% use the additional income for children s education. 7% of the workers interested they purchasing household things. 6% use the income to maintain their forms 10% of the respondents use the money to repay their old deads. Summary of Findings To study the Impact of MGNREGA on agricultural labour force 100 sample were selected. Income levels of the respondents showed that majority of them are in the income level of less than Rs.12000. Majority of the respondent in 72% issued job card with in week. Through Grama Panchayat Notice Board 50% of the respondents know about MGNREGA scheme. 10% of the respondents engaged more than 5 works. 62% of the money income from MGNREGA is used for good food.
Conclusions MGNREGA depends on the acceptability of the people, which further rests on the level of awareness among various state holders and the desire among them to implement it. Therefore the government should launch an intensive awareness programme through different media and make the masses aware of the objectives and provisions of the scheme. The government should appoint public information officers at the centre and state levels specifically for the purpose of MGNREGA. For success of the scheme, it is also needed that a village level micro plan is prepared and the works taken up under the MGNREGA. Lastly, Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs), should be sole responsible for the implementation of the MGNREGA successfully.