Constraints faced by the beneficiaries and strategies regarding smooth functioning of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

Abstract

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is the largest rights –based social protection initiative, provide basic income assurance to a large number of beneficiaries. In this sense the scheme is the flagship programme of the Government of India as it provides statutory right to employment to every rural household in a financial year. The objective of the study is to analyze the constraints faced by the MGNREGS functionaries in their work. The study was carried out over 240 respondents in Samastipur district of Bihar to find out the constraints and strategies regarding smooth functioning of MGNREGA under different parameters viz., social, psychological and institutional constraints perceived by the MGNREGA beneficiaries and strategies suggested by the beneficiaries regarding smooth functioning of MGNREGA. The results showed that the major constraints noticed in the area was of rude behavior of the mates with women at work site, illiteracy among the beneficiaries, and lack of adequate facilities at work site with the mean score value 2.02, 1.62 and 2.49, respectively. Majority (47.92%) of MGNREGA beneficiaries have suggested that there should be preference of work should be given for the poor, women and disabled person, followed by the 47.50% of the MGNREGA beneficiaries who suggested for there should be transparency regarding payment of wages for smooth functioning of MGNREGA.