Impact of Nrega on Wage Rates 2
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Study No. 138 IMPACT OF NREGA ON WAGE RATES, FOOD SECURITY AND RURAL URBAN MIGRATION – A STUDY IN ASSAM Dr. Jotin Bordoloi Agro-Economic Research Centre for North East India Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-785013, Assam 2011 STUDY TEAM General Guidance Dr. A. K. Das Project in-charge & Report writing Dr. Jotin Bordoloi Field Investigation & Data Collection Dr. Jotin Bordoloi Mrs. Runjun Savapandit Dr. Ranjit Borah Sri Debajit Borah Tabulation Mrs. Runjun Savapandit Sri Debajit Borah Sri Rupam Kr. Bordoloi Sri Madhurjya Bora PREFACE The study on “Impact of NREGA on Wage Rates, Food Security and Rural Urban Migration- a study in Assam” was undertaken at the instance of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. The ADRT, Bangalore was the coordinating centre for the study. The draft report was submitted to the coordinating centre and necessary correction and modification have been made as per comments and suggestions. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development is the flagship programme of the Central Government that directly touches the lives of the poor and promotes inclusive growth. The Act aims at enhancing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The Act also emphasises to uplift the rural economy. In addition to this it has taken a special care to empower women by reducing gender differences in wages and their children. The Act also mandates 33 per cent participation for women in NREGA work programmes. The present study was done in primary and secondary level as well. The secondary level analysis comprising 27 districts of Assam, based on the data available in the NREGA web site of the state while primary level analysis covers only 5 sample districts viz., Sonitpur from the northern part, Cachar from the southern part ,Dibrugarh from the eastern part, Nagaon from the central part and Bongaigaon from western part of the state. The study was done with 250 sample households (200 beneficiary hhs and 50 non beneficiary hhs), where 40 households as sample beneficiaries (Job card holders) and 10 households as non beneficiaries from each district. The study was completed with sincere help and cooperation of the District Rural Development Agencies, Officials of Development Blocks and respective Panchyats of the Government of Assam. I am thankful to all the officials of the concerned departments. I am also thankful to all the sample respondents for their co- operation during the field surveys. Like all the studies, this is also a joint output of the Centre. I am grateful to Dr Jotin Bordoloi who prepared the report of the study. The names of the research staff associated with the study have been mentioned elsewhere in the report. I hope that the report will provide the first-hand information on the State NREGA for planners, policy makers and researchers. Anup Kr. Das Director i/c AERC, Jorhat C O N T E N T S Chapters Particulars Page No. Preface i List of Tables ii - iii Chapter I Introduction 1-12 Chapter II Manpower employment generated under NREGA and its socio-economic characteristics 13-80 Chapter -III House hold characteristics and their income and consumption pattern 81-94 Chapter -IV Work profile under NREGA, wage structure and migration issues 95-100 Chapter -V The Functioning of NREGA-Qualitative aspects 101-114 Chapter -VI NREGA impact on village economy 115-122 Chapter-VII Concluding remarks and policy suggestion 123-126 Annexure I Comments by the Co-ordinating Centre & Action Taken Report I - V Annexure II References VI ***** LIST OF TABLES Table Particulars Page No. No. Table 2.1 Employment Generated During the Financial Year 2009 - 14 2010 Table - 2.2.a Employment generated through NREGA and its socio 17 economic characteristics Table - 2.2.b Employment generated through NREGA and its socio 18 economic characteristics Table - 2.2.c Employment generated through NREGA and its socio 19 economic characteristics Table - 2.3a District wise works completed/progress under NREGA 23 (number of projects) Table - 2.3b District wise works completed/progress under NREGA 24 (number of projects) Table - 2.3.c District wise works completed/progress under NREGA 26-27 (Number of Projects) Table - 2.3.d District wise works completed/progress under NREGA 28-29 (Amount spent in Lakhs) Table - 2.3.e District wise works completed/progress under NREGA 31-32 (Number of Projects) Table - 2.3.f District wise works completed/progress under NREGA 34-35 (Amount spent in Lakhs) Table - 2.4 -a Social auditing and inspection of NREGA work 38 Table - 2.4 -b Social auditing and inspection of NREGA work 41 Table - 2.4 - Social auditing and inspection of NREGA work 43 c Table - 2.4- d The NREGA payment processed though bank/post office 45 Table - 2.4 -e The NREGA payment processed though bank/post office 47 Table - 2.4 -f The NREGA payment processed though bank/post office 49 Table - 2.5 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 51 Table - 2.5-1 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 53 Table - 2.5-2 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 54 Table - 2.5-3 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 55 Table - 2.5-4 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 56 Table - 2.5-5 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 57 Table - 2.5-6 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 58 Table - 2.5-7 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 59 Table - 2.5-8 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 60 Table - 2.5-9 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 61 Table -2.5-10 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 62 Table -2.5-11 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 63 Table -2.5-12 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 64 Table -2.5-13 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 65 Table -2.5-14 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 66 Table -2.5-15 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 67 Table -2.5-16 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 68 Table -2.5-17 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 69 Table -2.5-18 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 70 Table -2.5-19 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 71 Table -2.5-20 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 72 Table -2.5-21 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 73 Table Particulars Page No. No. Table -2.5-22 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 74 Table -2.5-23 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 75 Table -2.5-24 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 76 Table -2.5-25 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 77 Table -2.5-26 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 78 Table -2.5-27 Work projection under NREGA for 2010-11 79 Table -3.1 Demographic profile of the respondents (% or households) 82 Table- 3.2 Main Occupation (% to total man-days ) 86 Table- 3.3 House4hold net income (Annual) (Rs. Per household) 87 Table- 3.4a Household consumption of food items (kgs. Per capita per 89 month) Table - 3.4b Monthly consumption expenditure of households 90 Table - 3.5 Variability in Consumption and income 91 Table- 3.6 Determinants of participation in NREGA (Logit function) 92 Table -3.7 Determinants of participation in NREGA (OLS) 92 Table- 3.8 Determinants of participation in NREGA (OLS) 93 Table- 4.1 The work profile under NREGA (Reference period - Jan- Dec 96 2009) Table- 4.2 The activity in which employed under NREGA and the quality 97 of assets created (Reference period - Jan - Dec 2009) (% of hh) Table- 4.3 Wage differentials among different activities 98 Table : 4.4 The Migration Incidents Recorded during the Reference 99 Period: Jan. - Dec. 2009 Table- 5.1 Assets holdings (Rs. Per households) 102 Table- 5.2a Borrowing by sample households (Rs. Per households) 103 Table- 5.2b Households strength on borrowing and other household assets 103 (Rs. Per households) Table- 5.3.1 Qualitative questions related to functioning of NREGA 105 (Percentage of hh) Table- 5.3.2 Qualitative Questions related to functioning on NREGA 106- Contd. (Percentage of hh) 107 Table- 5.3.3 Qualitative Questions related to functioning on NREGA 109 Contd. (Percentage of hh) Table- 5.3.4 Quantitative questions related to NREGA functioning 110 (Percentage of hh) Table- 5.3.5 Provide details on the following potential benefits of 111 NREGA (Percentage of hh) Table- 5.3.6 Quantitative questions related to food security (percentage of 112 hh) Table- 6.1 Infrastructure available within the village (percentage of 116 villages) Table- 6.2 Occupational structure (% of households) 117 Table- 6.3 Wage rates for different activities (average of all villages)-Rs. 117 Table- 6.4 Prevailing labour charges for agricultural operations (average 118 of all villages) (Mention the unit-Rs./acre or Rs./day) Table- 6.5 Qualitative questions on changes in the villages during last one 119 year (% of hh) Table- 6.6 Qualitative questions about the functioning of NREGA 121 CHAPTER – I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction India is a country of villages and about 50 per cent of the villages have very poor economic condition. In Assam, a large percentage of population i.e. more than 85 per cent of the total population still lives in rural areas. Indebtedness, unemployment, unproductive expenses, low level of productivity, lack of adequate basic needs and minimum services are very common problems of the villages of Assam.