Open Letter Warns Against Replacing MNREGA With New Rural Employment Scheme
MGNREGA: More than 350 academics and activists have written an open letter to the central government opposing the proposal to abolish MNREGA. They have demanded that MNREGA's shortcomings be addressed, not abolished.
The debate on MNREGA, the largest rural jobs scheme, has picked up pace in the nation. As there have been discussions between the central government regarding the replacement of the MNREGA with a new scheme, an open letter was signed by over 350 scientists, academicians, research scholars, and grassroots workers that the MNREGA should not be dismantled but its weaknesses should be removed.
The case for seeking to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, and substituting it in its place by the ‘Vikasit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment & Livelihood Mission (Rural) Act, is a weak one,” asserts the open letter. The letter also declares the “greatest strength of the MNREGA is the demand-driven character of the scheme, which gives the poor the legal right to demand employment.
The open letter states that MNREGA is a rights-based scheme. It not only empowers the poor to seek employment but also strengthens local democracy. It allows marginalized people to express themselves and ensures the voices of minorities are heard. In contrast, the new proposed scheme's structure follows rules set from above and places the burden on the poor to prove their worth.
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The letter states that numerous studies have proven that MNREGA has given the poor a basis to demand accountability from the administration. It has fostered a sense of equality with powerful members of the village and increased mutual respect within the community. Experts say that the new scheme's fixed structure will undermine this entire process.
The open letter also states that problems such as work irregularities, the use of machines, and digital attendance cannot be solved by new technology alone. The new scheme calls for further strengthening of the NMMS app, geotagging, and biometric systems. But experts say that villagers are unable to understand such complex processes and are unable to properly express their demands in Gram Sabhas.
The argument that MNREGA creates a labor shortage during the farming season was also dismissed as false. The letter stated that MNREGA wage rates are 40 to 50 percent lower than agricultural wages. MNREGA is not permanent employment, but rather a support when agricultural work is unavailable or exploitative.
The open letter stated that shifting the cost burden of the new scheme to states could increase political discrimination. State governments may suppress demand for work to avoid spending, leading to increased unemployment and migration. The letter also stated that the promise of 125 days of employment is misleading, as even the current budget provides only 50 days of employment on average.
