MGNREGA workers to build schools in villages

To construct and renovate government schools in rural areas, the School Education Department has decided to involve the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) workers.

The department has decided to nominate one principal in every block to supervise the work along with officials of the Rural Development Department, which has given its final nod.

In a letter to the District Education Officers (DEOs), the department had asked schools to take help of MGNREGA workers for the construction, repair and maintenance of school compound walls, plantation, development of parks, playgrounds, multi-unit toilets and construction of kitchen sheds.

The department has asked the school authorities to involve panchayats as well to make the programme a success. Sources said work funded under the MGNREGA would be performed by manual labour instead of machines and no contractors would be involved at any stage.

About MGNREGA:

The scheme was introduced as a social measure that guarantees “the right to work”. The key tenet of this social measure and labour law is that the local government will have to legally provide at least 100 days of wage employment in rural India to enhance their quality of life.

Key objectives:

Generation of paid rural employment of not less than 100 days for each worker who volunteers for unskilled labour.
Proactively ensuring social inclusion by strengthening livelihood base of rural poor.
Creation of durable assets in rural areas such as wells, ponds, roads and canals.
Reduce urban migration from rural areas.
Create rural infrastructure by using untapped rural labour.

The following are the eligibility criteria for receiving the benefits under MGNREGA scheme:

Must be Citizen of India to seek NREGA benefits.
Job seeker has completed 18 years of age at the time of application.
The applicant must be part of a local household (i.e. application must be made with local Gram Panchayat).
Applicant must volunteer for unskilled labour.

Key facts related to the scheme:

The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments.
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 submitting the application 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 submitting the application or from the date when work is sought.
Social Audit of MGNREGA works is mandatory, which lends to accountability and transparency.
The Gram Sabha is the principal forum for wage seekers to raise their voices and make demands.
It is the Gram Sabha and the Gram Panchayat which approves the shelf of works under MGNREGA and fix their priority.