What is the full form of MGNREGA?

MGNREGA: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

MGNREGA stands for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Formerly, it was known as NREGA. This act applies to rural areas of all the Indian states and is controlled by the govt. of India. It is labour law and social security measure in India, which was introduced to guarantee the 'right to work' in rural areas of India. It is believed to be the world's largest social project for the poor.

According to this act, the local government is supposed to legally provide at least 100 days of wage employment to the people living in rural India to enhance their earning and living standard.

Key Objectives of MGNREGA:

• To provide paid rural employment of not less than 100 days to rural people who volunteer for unskilled labour
• To construct durable assets in rural areas such as ponds, roads, wells, and canals
• To reduce the migration from rural to urban areas
• To create a rural infrastructure through untapped rural labour
• To provide autonomy to Panchayati Raj Institutions

Eligibility for MGNREGA:

The eligibility criteria for MGNREGA is kept simple so that the maximum rural population can benefit from the scheme.

• The person should be a citizen of India
• He should have completed 18 years of age at the time of application
• Applicant must belong to the local household or should apply to local Gram Panchayat
• Applicant should be ready for unskilled labour

What is MGNERGA Job Card?

It is the main document that identifies a person who is registered with the local Gram Panchayat under MGNERGA. It contains the details of the registered users such as registration number, name and other information related to local Gram Panchayat.

This job card is used by the rural population to apply for paid work with their Gram Panchayat in their villages. It ensures transparency in employment and also reduces the chances of fraud. Besides this, MGNERGA JC can be used for various other purposes such as to complete KYC at bank and post offices while opening bank accounts.

How to apply for MGNREGA Job Card:

MGNREGA job card is the main document that contains the record of workers' entitlements under this scheme. The process of applying for this job card starts with filling a MGNREGA job card application form that can be availed from the local Gram Panchayat. It is issued around within 15 days of the process of applying.

The registration process to get MGNERGA Card involves the following steps:

The applicants are required to download the Performa for Job Card under this scheme from the website of their state. This form is also available with the local gram panchayat.

This form should be filled and submitted to the Goan office or any other relevant office of their region. Besides this, a plain paper can be used to make the application by providing the required details on the paper such as;

• Photograph of the applicant
• Name, Age, Gender
• Village Name
• Gram Panchayat Name
• Name of Block
• To specify whether the applicant is beneficiary of SC, ST, LR, etc
• Signature or thumb impression of the applicant

The form submitted by the applicant is verified by the Gram Panchayat by checking the details such as applicant is adult or not, having a local domicile or not, etc. Single women living alone can also get this card. After verifying the details the job cards are issued to the applica0nts.

Payment process of MGNERGA:

The payment to the workers is made by the employer by transferring the wages directly into the bank or post office account of the applicant. If a worker does not have an account, he or she can open an account by using the job card as KYC document. In rare cases, the payment can also be made in cash with prior approval from the concerned authorities.