Ministry of Rural Development has two departments namely Department of Rural Development and Department of Land Resource.
Being the nodal Ministry for most of the development and welfare activities in the rural areas, the Ministry of Rural Development plays a pivotal role in the overall development strategy of the country. The vision and mission of the Ministry is sustainable and inclusive growth of rural India through a multipronged strategy for eradication of poverty by increasing livelihoods opportunities, providing social safety net and developing infrastructure for growth. This is expected to improve quality of life in rural India and to correct the developmental imbalances, aiming in the process, to reach out to most disadvantaged sections of the society.
The Ministry of Rural Development consists of two Departments, viz.,
Department of Rural Development,
Department of Land Resources.
Broadly, the aims of the Ministry of Rural Development are: Providing livelihood opportunities to those in need including women and other vulnerable sections with focus on Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.
Providing for the enhancement of livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household demanding it.
Provision of all weather rural connectivity to unconnected rural habitations and upgradation of existing roads to provide market access.
Providing basic housing and homestead to BPL household in rural areas.
Providing social assistance to the elderly, widow and disabled persons.
Providing urban amenities in rural areas for improvement of quality of rural life.
Capacity development and training of rural development functionaries. Promoting involvement of voluntary agencies and individuals for rural development.
Restoring lost or depleted productivity of the land. This is done through watershed development programmes and initiating effective land reform measures for providing land to the landless rural poor.
Path Behind Rural development implies both the economic betterment of people as well as greater social transformation. Increased participation of people in the rural development programmes, decentralization of planning, better enforcement of land reforms and greater access to credit are envisaged for providing the rural people with better prospects.
Initially, main thrust for development was laid on agriculture, industry, communication, education, health and allied sectors. Later on, realizing that accelerated development can be provided only if governmental efforts are adequately supplemented by direct and indirect involvement of people at the grass root level, the thrust shifted.
Accordingly, on 31st March 1952, an organization known as Community Projects Administration was set up under the Planning Commission to administer the programmes relating to community development. The community development programme, inaugurated on October 2, 1952, was an important landmark in the history of the rural development. This programme underwent many changes and was handled by different Ministries.
In October 1974, the Department of Rural Development came into existence as a part of Ministry of Food and Agriculture. On 18th August 1979, the Department of Rural Development was elevated to the status of a new Ministry of Rural Reconstruction. It was renamed as Ministry of Rural Development on 23rd January 1982. In January 1985, the Ministry of Rural Development was again converted into a Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development which was later rechristened as Ministry of Agriculture in September 1985. On July 5, 1991 the Department was upgraded as Ministry of Rural Development. Another Department viz. Department of Wasteland Development was created under this Ministry on 2nd July 1992. In March 1995, the Ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment with three departments namely Department of Rural Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Rural Development and Wasteland Development.
Again, in 1999 Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment was renamed as Ministry of Rural Development. This Ministry has been acting as a catalyst effecting the change in rural areas through the implementation of wide spectrum of programmes which are aimed at poverty alleviation, employment generation, infrastructure development and social security. Over the years, with the experience gained, in the implementation of the programmes and in response to the felt needs of the poor, several programmes have been modified and new programmes have been introduced. The Ministry's main objective is to alleviate rural poverty and ensure improved quality of life for the rural population especially those below the poverty line. These objectives are achieved through formulation, development and implementation of programmes relating to various spheres of rural life and activities, from income generation to environmental replenishment.
In order to ensure that the fruits of economic reform are shared by all sections of societies five elements of social and economic infrastructure, critical to the quality of life in rural areas, were identified. These are health, education, drinking water, housing and roads. To impart greater momentum to the efforts in these sectors the Government launched the Pradhan Mantri Gramdoya Yojana (PMGY) and the Ministry of Rural Development was entrusted with the responsibility of implementing drinking water, housing and rural roads component of PMGY.
During the Ninth Plan period, several anti-poverty Programmes have been restructured to enhance the efficiency of the Programmes for providing increased benefits to the rural poor. Self Employment Programmes were revamped by merging the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), the Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA), the Supply of Improved Tool-Kits to Rural Artisans (SITRA), the Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment (TRYSEM), the Ganga Kalyan Yojana (GKY) and the Million Wells Scheme (MWS) into a holistic self-employment scheme called Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY).
Keeping in view the needs and aspirations of the local people, Panchayati Raj Institutions(PRIs) have been involved in the programme implementation and these institutions constitute the core of decentralized development of planning and its implementation. The Ministry vigorously pursue with the State Governments for expeditious devolution of requisite administrative and financial powers to PRIs as envisaged under 73rd Amendment Act of the Constitution of India. On 25th December 2002, under Drinking Water Sector, a new initiative 'Swajal Dhara' empowering the Panchayats to formulate, implement, operate and maintain drinking water Projects was launched. In order to further involve PRIs in the development process, a new initiative 'Hariyali' was launched by Hon'ble Prime Minister on 27th January, 2003. Hariyali was launched to strengthen and involve Panchayati Raj Institutions in the implementation of watershed development programmes namely IWDP, DPAP and DDP.
Realising that empowerment of rural women is crucial for the development of rural India, a women's component is introduced in the programmes for poverty alleviation to ensure flow of adequate funds to this section.
The Constitutional Amendment (73rd), Act 1992 provides for reservation of selective posts for women. The Constitution has placed enormous responsibility on the Panchayats to formulate and execute various programmes of economic development and social justice, and a number of Centrally Sponsored Schemes are being implemented through Panchayats. Thus, women Members and Chairpersons of Panchayats, who are basically new entrants in Panchayats, have to acquire the required skill and be given appropriate orientation to assume their rightful roles as leaders and decision makers.
Imparting training to elected representatives of PRIs is primarily the responsibility of the State Governments/Union territory Administrations.
Ministry of Rural Development also extends some financial assistance to the States/UTs with a view to improve the quality of training programmes and to catalyze capacity building initiatives for the elected members and functionaries of PRIs.
The Eleventh Plan saw injection of huge resources from the Union Budget to the rural and farm sector. This thrust formed the substance of the Bharat Nirman Programme. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has provided a major foundational support.
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has been separated from the Ministry of Rural Development from 13th July, 2011 and renamed as Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
The following major programmes are being operated by the Ministry of Rural Development in rural areas,
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for providing wage employment,
National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) for self employment and skill development,
Housing for All : Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Grameen (PMAY-G) for providing housing to BPL households,
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for construction of quality roads,
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for social pension,
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee RURBAN Mission,
Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) for improving the productivity of the land.
In addition, the Ministry also has schemes for capacity development of rural functionaries; Information, Education and Communication; and Monitoring and Evaluation.
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was notified in 2005. As per an amendment to the Act, the words ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ were prefixed to National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (hereinafter known as “Act”). The Act covers the entire country with the exception of districts that have hundred percent urban population.
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA provides a number of legal entitlements to the job seekers through a series of provisions in the Act. While the Act makes provision for at least hundred days work per rural household in a year, it is the strong legal framework of rights and entitlements that come together to make the hundred days of work per year possible.
Every household residing in any rural area is entitled to a Job Card which contains the names and photographs of all adult members of the household so that they can demand and receive work. The Job Card is a key document that records job seekers’ entitlements under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. It contains the updated details of work demanded and received; wages paid etc. For this reason, it is extremely important that an updated Job Card is available with the household at all times.
Entitlement to the Worker Para 1, Schedule II: “The adult member of every household residing in any rural area and willing to do unskilled manual work may submit their names, age and the address of the household to the Gram Panchayat at the village level in whose jurisdiction of which they reside for registration of their household for issuance of a job card.”
Para 2, Schedule II: “It shall be the duty of the Gram Panchayat, after making such enquiry, as it deems fit, to issue a job card within fifteen days from the date of such application
Possession of Job Cards All the Job Cards (JCs) must remain in the custody of concerned household and possession of JC by any other person, including functionaries and PRIs shall be considered as a violation of the Act. If taken for updating, the JC must be returned immediately, afterwards. JC found in the possession of any Panchayat or Mahatma Gandhi NREGA functionary or anyone else, without a valid reason, will be considered as an offence punishable under section 25 of the Act. It is the role of the District Programme Coordinator and the State Government to ensure that the JC remains in the possession of the concerned JC holder only.
Regular update of entries in the JCs It shall be the duty of the concerned Gram Rojgar Sahayak or authorised functionary to update the JC of all job seekers, who have demanded job, have been allocated work and received payments, within 15 days from the date of any of these events.
For verification/ update of a Job Card, the following may be looked into:
I. SECC TIN number, if any; bank account/ Post Office account number must be verified and entered into the Job Card.
II. Either family photo or photos of workers or individual photos (preferably) of that family, duly attested by the competent authority is mandatory.
III. Demand, allocation, work done and payment details must be updated in the Job Card.
No JC is to be cancelled in a routine manner and certainly not on the ground of non-demand/non-reporting for work. The JCs can be cancelled, after due verification, only if,
I. The household has migrated permanently to the urban areas, or
II. It is proved to be a duplicate, or
III. It has been registered based on forged documents (i.e. not issued by authorised personnel and/or issued to non-existent person or to a person on the basis of fake identity)
IV. A household migrated to a different Gram Panchayat.
Further, in case a Gram Panchayat area is declared as a Municipality/ Municipal Corporation, all households residing in the area will cease to have the facilities of employment on production of the existing Job Cards.
In all cases, the Programme Officer, after independent verification of the facts, may direct the Gram Panchayat to cancel the JC. All additions/deletions/cancellations must be made public, presented to the Gram Sabha/Ward Sabha, reported to the Programme Officer and updated in the MIS.
Every adult member of a registered household whose name appears in the job card shall be entitled to apply for unskilled manual work under the Scheme; and every such application shall be compulsorily registered, and a receipt issued with the date, which shall be entered in the computer system.
“Work shall be provided within fifteen days, from the date of registration of the demand for work or the date from which work has been demanded in case of advance applications, whichever is later
Registering demand for work is central to the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. The Programme Officer and the Programme Implementing Agencies (PIAs) must ensure that the process of submission of applications for work is kept open on a continuous basis. Every demand for work is required to be acknowledged by a dated receipt.
Normally, applications for work must be submitted for at least fourteen days of continuous work and provision shall be made in the Scheme for submission of multiple applications by the same person, provided that the corresponding periods for which employment is sought, do not overlap.
The Ministry mandates the provision of additional 50 days of wage employment (beyond the stipulated 100 days) to every Scheduled Tribe Household in a forest area, provided that these households have no other private property except for the land rights provided under the FRA Act, 2006.
the Central Government has decided to provide an additional 50 days of unskilled manual work in a financial year, over and above the 100 days assured to job card holders in such rural areas where drought or any natural calamity (as per Ministry of Home Affairs) has been notified.
The notification to provide additional 50 days of unskilled manual work, over and above 100 days in drought or natural calamity notified rural areas, is issued by the Ministry of Rural Development as recommended by Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare
In order to accurately register unmet demand, effectively convey the entitlements and rights of workers and redress grievances, Gram Rozgar Diwas should be organised as a means of demand registration and grievance redressal.
The District Programme Coordinator will ensure that Rozgar Diwas is organized according to a monthly schedule devised by the District Programme Coordinator or by the State Government. This schedule will be shared with the Ministry and will be in the public domain. Rozgar Diwas should be organised at the Gram Panchayat and/or Ward Level at least once a month.
If an applicant for employment under the Scheme is not provided such employment within fifteen days of receipt of his application seeking employment or from the date on which the employment has been sought in the case of an advance application, whichever is later, he shall be entitled to a daily unemployment allowance in accordance with this section.”
The daily unemployment allowance will be at a rate not less than one fourth of the wage rate for the first thirty days during the financial year and not less than one half of the wage rate for the remaining period of the financial year.
The implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS involves considerable organizational responsibilities at the Gram Panchayat level. To ensure that these are effectively discharged by the Gram Panchayat, ‘Employment Guarantee Assistant’, or ‘Gram Rozgar Sahayak’ (GRS), or any equivalent designation in the local language can be deployed. GRS should be engaged exclusively for Mahatma Gandhi NREGS and her/his functions should be distinct with that of Panchayat Secretary.
Programme Officer (PO) not below the rank of the Block Development Officer (BDO) should be appointed at the Block level. The Programme Officer will be a full-time dedicated officer, and acts as a coordinator for Mahatma Gandhi NREGS at the Block level.
The State Government designates a DPC, who can be either the Chief Executive Officer of the District Panchayat (DP), or the District Collector (DC), or any other District-level Officer of appropriate rank. The DPC is responsible for the implementation of the scheme in the district
SECURE (Software for Estimate Calculation Using Rural rates for Employment) is customised version of the software PRICE (Project Information and Cost Estimation), which was used in PWD, Government of Kerala for preparation & approval of Estimates.
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA State Mission Kerala & NIC Kerala jointly developed the SECURE software as per requirement of The Mahatma Gandhi NREGA and the same was being used by Kerala for preparation of estimates.
A committee was constituted for discussion on the alignment of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA wages, keeping the divergence and commonality in Schedule of Rates by the Ministry under the Chairmanship of Additional Secretary, MoRD.
The committee deliberated the aforementioned topics in the three meetings held on 1st May 2017, 28th June 2017 and 27th July 2017. It was decided by the committee that the Work Estimation Module developed by NIC Kerala would be shared with other States/UTs for their feedback in a workshop at Trivendram, Kerala.
In the meeting all the States and UTs unanimously decided to adapt SECURE for generating estimate of all the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA work and the software will be customized with state specific workflow and rates.