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International Journal of Pure & Applied Bioscience (IJPAB)
Year : 2017, Volume : 5, Issue : 2
First page : (180) Last page : (187)
Article doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2320-7051.2816

Effect of MGNREGA on Employment Pattern, Wage Structure and Associated Constraints at Various Levels: A Study of Udham Singh Nagar District of Uttarakhand

Sheela Kharkwal1*, Anil Kumar2 and Shweta Chaudhary2
1PhD Scholar, Division of Dairy Economics, Statistics and Management, NDRI, Karnal 132001, India
2Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, GBPUA&T Pantnagar,
Uttarakhand 263145, India
*Corresponding Author E-mail: sheela.kharkwal91@gmail.com
Received: 9.04.2017  |  Revised: 20.04.2017   |  Accepted: 21.04.2017  

 ABSTRACT

The present study conducted in the Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand, has assessed the extent of employment generated by the programme and the changes in employment pattern and wage structure due to implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in rural areas. The study also identified the constraints faced by different stakeholders in the implementation of the programme. Information wasv gathered from 80 households of four Gram Panchayats and different stake-holders of an average performing block in the district. The average days of employment in MGNREGA scheme decreased from 59.8 days in 2007-08 to 51.9 days in year 2013-14, while the same increased in other sources of employment like own farm employment, agricultural labour work and self-employment over six years. MGNREGA wages were Rs. 73 per day initially in the year of implementation, which hiked by 114 per cent in year 2013-14 and reached to Rs. 145 per day. The main constraints as revealed by different stakeholders were non-availability of regular work, delay in wage payments, political interference, lack of efficient staff, difficulty in data maintenance, lack of labour availability during peak agricultural season and corruption. The average number of person days generated per household in the study area was estimated at 52 days only, which is far less than the guaranteed 100 days of employment. Therefore, implementing agencies should make conscious efforts to increase the person days employment in the area to meet the minimum specified target of employment under MGNREGA.

Key words: MGNREGA, Wage structure, Employment pattern, Stake holders, Constraints

Full Text : PDF; Journal doi : http://dx.doi.org/10.18782

Cite this article: Kharkwal, S., Kumar, A. and Chaudhary, S., Effect of MGNREGA on Employment Pattern, Wage Structure and Associated Constraints at Various Levels: A Study of Udham Singh Nagar District of Uttarakhand, Int. J. Pure App. Biosci.5(2): 180-187 (2017). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2320-7051.2816