Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-27-2010

Abstract

Government of India like other governments has been facing the problem of unemployment. During its course of independent existence, it has charted out various schemes to eradicate the same. In the course of the study we trace some of these schemes and land up at the most popular and mass scheme of its time i.e. National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (NREGS). This is the first of its kind as it attaches a legal framework to the aspect of employment, limits machinery and contractor usage and typically promotes works affecting the environment. In all, its a scheme where we have the beneficiaries working for their own benefit in the long run. It's in fact has government evincing strong interest in improving the livelihood of the rural masses. With a predominant rural population and the policy makers plagued with the fundamental problem of migration; this scheme theoretically seems to be the perfect solution provider. Given the size of funds allocated and the number of stakeholders involved; it becomes very important that a study is made to suggest procedural changes and bring out flaws, if any. It has been facing many a problems. Some of the problems are inherent in the very nature of the scheme itself; some generated during the course of it and some courtesy the people involved in the same. The problems are discussed at length in the present study. Each of them is dissected to find out the root cause, the problems are described and ultimately suggestions are made for each of them. We arrive at the benefits to the rural masses, who actually work, both the societal and financial benefits, benefits to the government in terms of easy monitoring, identifying accountability and financial management and lastly benefits to the local statutory authorities in terms of easy monitoring and generating goodwill. The paper draws importance because of the usage of technology. It is one stopover for generating social upliftment in rural India. In a country like India where social upliftment is linked closely with financial gains, the technology suggested is not out of place. In Odisha particularly, the backwardness has always been a perennial constraint in further development. But courtesy this, the state has a chance to showcase to the entire country about the maturity and seriousness in its thinking process; ultimately aimed towards not only optimum usage of Central Government's funds but also quick progress in the desired rural development. Smart card (the paper discusses) has been used for various purposes. But in this paper the authors describe the usage of it in a manner suited to the typical processes under NREGS. Charity and no free lunches are possible; financial(s) with receivable cash flows are also described to generate viability for the entities involved.'

Language

English

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