Livelihood security through NREGA: an impact study in Pusa block of Samastipur district of Bihar.
Loading...
Date
2011
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Rajendra Agricultural University
Abstract
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005(NREGA) was brought into force by the Union government in February 2006. Which was renamed on 2nd October 2009 as MGNREGA i.e. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. It is the first nation-wide employment scheme that guarantees employment legally to India’s rural population. According to the Union Rural Development Ministry’s figures, more than 1.36 crore people of the country’s total population have been given jobs under the Act. It guarantees 100 days of unskilled jobs per rural household. More importantly, the Act aims at eradication of extreme poverty and at making villages self-sustaining through productive assets creation. This is meant to regenerate the rural natural resource base, which in turn, will result in sustainable livelihoods for residents. The government has referred to it as an “Act of the people, by the people, and for the people”.
In Pusa block of Samastipur district the NREGA is in operation for about two and half years and no imperial and systemic study has been carried out so far. Therefore, it was imperative to assess the impact or performance of NREGA, running in this block. It is with this background the present study has been planned with the following specific objectives:
1. To explore the extent of awareness about NREGA among the target group of the Act.
2. To assess the impact of the Act as per its objectives.
3. To assess the contribution of the Act in terms of creation of infrastructure in the rural areas.
4. To explore the extent to which the Act has been able to check the migration of rural labourers.
5. To find out the socio-economic characteristic of the beneficiaries.
6. To analyze the constraints/problems as perceived by the beneficiaries in terms of proper implementation of the Act.
Pusa block of Samastipur district had been purposively selected as locale of the study, considering simply the reason that researcher is known to the officials of the block from whom time to time information could be gathered, needed to complete the task and also due to the fact of availability of NREGA beneficiaries in this block. There are altogether 20 blocks in Samastipur district. Out of which Pusa block had been selected purposively for the study, the sample respondent for the study consist of 120 NREGA card holders (60 male & 60 female), selected from 4 villages of the two panchayats of Pusa block following the simple random sampling technique. Based upon the consultation of literature, discussion with the faculty and pre testing of the schedule the direct and indirect variables such as socioeconomic profile of the respondents, the impact of the employment generation Act, the extent of awareness, and creation of infrastructure along with the constraints if any, regarding proper implementation of the Act were selected.
A schedule was developed for the study in and around the independent and dependent variables. The schedule was standardized through pre-testing of the same on separate sample in Pusa block of Samastipur district. Karl Pearson’s coefficient of correlation and multiple regression analysis, besides frequencies and percentage, were used to analyze the data.
The study revealed that among the socio economic characteristics, in the case of age majority of the beneficiaries that is 47 per cent belonged to the young age group. In the case of caste, maximum NREGA beneficiaries were of schedule caste (72%). Most of the respondents, were illiterate (40%), having family educational status of the category of no education of (45%). Majority of the beneficiaries were of nuclear family type (63.5%) with the large family size, (65.8%). Maximum (57%) of the beneficiaries were found land less.49.2 percent of the NREGA beneficiaries were belonged to the category of family annual income in between Rs.10,001-15,000.
Level of awareness about NREGA was found to be high (74 %). So far as person days employment is concerned, the employment for l00 days was reported by only 11.6 per cent of the responded only. However in the case of rise in income level of NREGA beneficiaries, there is a continuous shift has been noticed. The percentage of beneficiaries in very low and low income groups has significantly decreased from 6.7 to 0 per cent and 42.5 to 29.2 per cent respectively and correspondingly the percentage of income group of medium and high has significantly increased from 59 to 49.2 per cent and 9.2 to 29.6 per cent respectively after involvement under NREGA.
The component wise impact in terms of economic impact, social impact, health impact, psychological impact, environmental impact, infrastructural impact and institutional impact. The data revealed that under economic impact the substantial impact was noticed in the area of enhanced purchasing power, as the mean score has been found to be the highest in these categories, followed by employment in agricultural lean period. Under social impact the substantial impact have been recorded in the area of reduced depending on village money lenders, with the mean score value 4.35. So far as the impact in health and hygiene is concerned, the substantial impact has been noticed, to the improvement in the nutritional security with the mean score 3.8 and accessing medial family with mean score 2.72. Thought is being developed to become self-employed in near future was found to be as substantial impact in the psychological category with the mean score value 2.55. Similarly, conservation of natural resources did find place under the category of environmental impact with mean score 2.69. The NREGA beneficiaries have accepted a substantial impact in the area of rural connectivity, among the infrastructural impact. Respondent believed strengthening of gram root democracy was ranked first with mean score value 3.27 under the intuitional impact.
As regards as the contribution of NREGA in respect of check in migration is concerned, it was found that, (60%) of the beneficiaries were reporting for the moderately check in migration.
The co-efficient of correlation between impact of act and socio economic value of the male NREGA beneficiaries, it was found that, age, caste, type of family, family size, land holding, family income, constraints and migration were found negatively significant and education, family education status, were found to be positively significant. In the case of female NREGA beneficiaries, age, caste, family education status, family type, family size, constraint and migration were found to be negatively significant. While education, land holding and family income were found non-significant. The R value, under multiple regression between impact of act and socio economic variables of the male and female NREGA beneficiaries was found .82 and .80, indicated that this set of variables explained 82 & 80 per cent of variability with the impact of act.
The co-efficient of correlation between awareness of different component/ provision of the act and socio economic characteristics of male NREGA beneficiaries; it was found that, age, caste, type of family, family size, family income, constraints and migration were found negatively significant and education was found positively significant. While among, female NREGA beneficiaries, it was found that, age, type of family, family size, family income, constraints and migration were found negative and significant whereas, caste and education was found positively significant. The R value, under multiple regression between awareness of different component/provision of the act and socio economic variables of the male and female NREGA beneficiaries was found .79 and .76, indicated that this set of variables explained 79 & 76 per cent of variability with the awareness of the act .
The constraints found among the NREGA beneficiaries were mainly, psychological, social and institutional constraints. Out of these in the psychological constraints, the major constraints noticed in the area of illiteracy among the beneficiaries with the mean score value 1.74. Lack of complete knowledge about different component of NREGA. In terms of social constraints, caste based biasness regarding getting work under NREGA was found highly problematic with the mean score value 2.8. Under the institutional constraints, out of eight constraints shortage of technical personnel at the work site was ranked first with the mean score 3.7.
A number of centrally sponsored scheme have been implemented under Rural Development Mission and welfare for the poor. But NREGA is one of the greatest experiments, undertaken in India to eradicate rural poverty. The scheme has been launched to supplement the error and gaps of all previous schemes with the involvement of panchayat civil society and local administration. Poor families were targeted to get benefits of employment and livelihood to supplement their family income.
On the basis of foregoing results and findings of study it is concluded that although the impact of NREGA on the whole, was not found very satisfactory yet the beneficiaries perceived that, they had got enhancement in their livelihood security on sustained basis through NREGA.
As it is a flagship program of the country for the targeted group there should be an actual impact of it. Hence to overcome the constraints faced by the beneficiaries, appropriate suggestive measures should be taken i.e. there should be transparency regarding payment of wages to the beneficiaries, gram panchayat should have a project made out of its own assessment. Preference of work should be given for the poor, women and disabled person, with no disturbance on muster rolls. Social audit must be at gram sabha.
Although, various types of impact of NREGA like economic, social, health and hygiene, physiological, environmental, infrastructural, and institutional impact etc. had collectively accelerated NREGA beneficiaries to have a secured livelihood up to some extent; yet implementers have to go miles to bring out the transparency and accountability in functioning of NREGA, so that the beneficiaries could get the targeted impact of the Act.