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Indian Research Journal of Extension Education Special Issue (Volume I), January, 2012 169
MNREGA: An Initiative towards Poverty Alleviation through
Employment Generation
Indira Bishnoi 1 , Sarita Verma 2 and Swati Rai 3
1. Professor, 2. Research Scholar, 3.Post PG Student, Department of Home Science (Extension and Communication),
Banaras Hindu University, Varansi , UP.
indira bishnoi indira255@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
On 25th August 2005, the parliament passed an Act called National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA),
the most accessible approach to rural India for poverty alleviation through employment generation. NREGA came
into force in September 2005 and was launched by the then Prime Minister Mr. Manamohan Singh, on February
2nd 2006, in the village called Bandlapalli in Anantpur District of Andhra Pradesh. The UPA Government on 2nd
October 2009 renamed the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) as Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 140th birth anniversary. The
MNREGA Programme is sponsored by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. The present study
was conducted in Khota Mahawa village of Babhani Block of Sonbhadra District of Uttar Pradesh, with the
objective of analysing performance of MNAREG. For this, hundred MNREGA beneficiaries both male and female
were selected and information was collected with the help of structured Interview schedule and data was analysed
with the appropriate statistical tools as; frequency, percentage and mean and result were drawn from it. It was
found that respondents were well aware of the procedure of the MNREGA such as registration, having job cards,
100 days employment in a year, process of opening bank accounts, accessing bank, receiving payment from bank
and about the process of wage payment in MNREGA .The main problem faced by the beneficiaries was delay in
wage payment, and accessing bank account. Other significant finding was that Gram Pradhan played a very
constructive, positive and active role in giving information about MNREGA. It can be concluded that MNREGA can
be an important step towards poverty alleviation by giving employment to rural people.
Key words : Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA),
Poverty and unemployment is the basic problem
of the rural India. More than 65 per cent of the country’s
population lives in rural areas and about 193 million rural
people are poor and every three of the four people lives
in rural India survive on less than US $ 1 a day. India’s
unemployment rate as per 2008 estimated as 10.4 per
cent and as per 2009 it had increased to 10.7 percent.
In the rural area, the proportion of unemployed is
estimated as 37 persons/1000 population. Therefore,
Employment generation and poverty alleviation are major
priorities drawing the attention of the government and
economic development planners all over the world.
The approach in tackling unemployment problem
has varied from time to time. The first wage employment
programme was introduced in 1960s to provide
employment to rural unemployed particularly during the
lean agricultural season. Than National Rural
Employment Programme (NREP) in 1980, Rural
Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP)
in 1983, Jawahar Rojgar Yojana (JRY) in 1985 and was
redesigned in 1999 as Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana
(JGSY), Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) in
1993,Sampoorn Grameen Rojgar Yojana (SGRY) in
2001(JGSY and EAS were merged to form SGRY in
2001 because of having some drawbacks) and National
Food For Work Programme (NFEWP) in 2004.
Similarly, a new attempt of central government
came into existence in the form of Act, on 25th August
2005; the parliament passed the Act called National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the most
accessible approach to rural India for poverty alleviation
through employment generation. NREGA came into
force in September 2005 and was launched by the then
Prime Minister Mr. Manamohan Singh, on February 2 nd

170 Indian Research Journal of Extension Education Special Issue (Volume I), January, 2012
2006, in the village called Bandlapalli in Anantpur District
of Andhra Pradesh. The UPA Government on 2nd
October 2009 renamed National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (NREGA) as Mahatma Gandhi, on the
occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 140th birth anniversary.
This Programme is sponsored by the Ministry of Rural
Development, Government of India. As MNREGA aims
for employment at least 100 days in a year ,Therefore
present study was undertaken with the following
objectives,
1. To study the socio demographic information of the
respondents.
2. To study and analyze the performance of
MNREGA in terms of-
2.1 Awareness and Accessibility of MNREGA
2.2 Employment generation under MNREGA
2.3 Process of Wage payment in MNREGA
2.4 Extent of satisfaction of respondents about
MNREGA
3. To study the bank accessibility of MNREGA
beneficiaries.
4. To find out the constraints face by the MNREGA
beneficiaries in wage collection.
METHODOLOGY
The present study was conducted in Khota
Mahawa village of Babhani Block in Sonbhadra District
of Uttar Pradesh.This village was 5 km. away from
Bhadani town.100 MNREGA beneficiaries both male
and female were selected randomly irrespective of cash
and financial conditions. Data was collected with the
help of pre-tested structured Interview Schedule. Period
of data collection was from January 2011 to March
2011, data was collected during February 2011 To March
2011, collected data was tabulation was analysed by
using frequency, percentage and mean.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Majority of the respondents (44 per cent) were of
26-35 years of age group, followed by 26 per cent in
the age group of 36-45 years and rest were above 45
years. 54 per cent respondents were male while 46
percent female. It shows that rules were followed in
giving work to female. All the respondents were married
and 44 percent belonged to joint family and rest belonged
to nuclear family. 44 per cent respondents belonged to
large size family having more than 10 members .20 per
cent of the respondents belonged to schedule caste and
80 per cent to Schedule Tribes, 86 per cent of the
respondents were illiterate and 12 per cent respondents
had primary education. 58 per cent respondents were
BPL card holders, 12 per cent respondents were APL
card holders and rest 30 per cent had Antoaya Cards.
All the respondents had kaccha house. Majority of the
respondents (68 per cent) had their monthly income
Rs.1000-1500, 26 per cent had monthly income
Upto Rs.1000 rest had monthly income of Rs. 2000 per
month.
All the result proves that all the beneficiaries were
from very poor financial background as none of the
respondents had even half kaccha and half pacca house.
For them working in MNREGA was really worth
working.
Table 1. Socio-demographic profile of the respondents
(N=100)
Characteristics Categories No. (%)
Age 18-25 years 04
26-35 years 44
36-45 years 26
Above 45 26
Sex Male 54
Female 46
Marital status Married 100
Family type Nuclear 56
Joint 44
Family size Small (upto 5 members) 28
Medium (6-12 members) 28
Large (>10 members) 44
Religion Hindu 100
Caste Schedule Caste 20
Schedule Tribes 80
Education Illiterate 86
Primary 12
High school 02
Land Holding Landless 18
Upto 2 Bissa 48
2-4 Bissa 34
Card Holding B.P.L. Card 58
A.P.L. 12
Antodaya Card 30
House Type Kachha house 100
Monthly Income Upto 1000 26
Rs.1000-1500 68
Rs.1501-2000 6

Indian Research Journal of Extension Education Special Issue (Volume I), January, 2012 171
To study and analyze the performance of MNREGA
in terms of-
2.1. Awareness and accessibility of MNREGA
Table No. 2.1.a, Distribution of respondents according to
the sources of Information about MNREGA
Sources of information about MNREGA
No. (N=100)
Gram Panchayat/Gram Pradhan 100
B.D.O. 00
Panchayat Sachiv 00
T.V./Radio 00
Total 100
Table No. 2.1.a, reveals that Gram Panchayat/
Gram Pradhan was the only source, who had given
information about MNREGA to all the villagers, while
other sources could not contribute any information in
any form to beneficiaries.
Table No.2.1.b. Distribution of respondents according to
their Knowledge about Registration for MNREGA
Knowledge about Registration
No. (N=100)
Had Knowledge 87
Had No Knowledge 13
Total 100
Table No.2.1.b. reveals that majority of the
respondents (87 per cent) had knowledge about
registration which is requirement for getting work under
this scheme, while rest had no knowledge about
registration.
Table No. 2.1.c. Distribution of respondents according to
the time period since respondents were benefited by
MNREGA
Time period since respondents
were benefited
No. (N=100)
6 Months 10
1 Year 21
2 Years 32
3 Years 37
Total 100
Table No. 3.1.c reveals that majority of the
respondents (37 per cent) were benefited by MNREGA
for the last 3 years and 32 per cent of the respondents
were benefited by MNREGA from 2 years and rest 10
and 21 per cent were benefited from six months and
one year respectively.
2.2. Employment generation under MNREGA
Table No.2.2.a. Distribution of the respondents according
to the process adopted by them for registration in
MNREGA
Process adopted by respondents for
registration in MNREGA
No. (N=100)
Written 14
Oral 86
Total 100
Table No.3.2.b. Reveals that majority of the
respondents( 86 per cent) reported that oral process
was adopted by them for the registration in MNREGA
and rest 14 per cent respondents had adopted oral
process for registration .
Table No.2.2.b. Distribution of the respondents
according to issue of job cards
Issue job cards to
No. (N=100)
Individual 26
Households 74
Total 100
Table No.3.2.b. reveals that 26 per cent of the
respondents were issued individual job cards and 74 per
cent of the respondents were issued household job card.
Table No.2.2.c Distribution of the respondents according
to their responses on 100 days of employment
guaranteed under MNREGA
MNREGA provide 100 days’ work
No. (N=100)
It provides 100 days work 92
It did not provide 100 days work 08
Total 100
Table No.2.2, c. Majority of the respondents (92
per cent) reported that they were getting 100 days of
employment under MNREGA and rest 8 per cent
reported that they were not getting 100 days of
employment.
Table No.2.2.d. Distribution of the respondents according
to the kinds of work assigned to female beneficiaries
of MNREGA
Kind of work assigned to female beneficiaries
No. (N=100)
Less labourious work -
Assisting male workers -
Carriage of soil, sand and bricks -
Above all 100
Total 100

172 Indian Research Journal of Extension Education Special Issue (Volume I), January, 2012
Table No.2.2.d. Reveals that all the respondents
were agreed that all the above kinds of work assigned
to female beneficiaries of MNREGA.
Table No.2.2.e. Distribution of the respondents according
to provision of work within 5 km.
Provision of work within 5 km.
No. (N=100)
Work provided within 5 km. 100
Not provided within 5 km. 00
Total 100
Table No.3.2.e All the 100 per cent of the
respondents were aware of the provision of work within
5 km.
3. Process of Wage payment in MNREGA
Table No.2.2.a. Distribution of the respondents according
to Payment received within 15 Days.
Payment received within15 Days
No. (N=100)
Received 92
Not Received 18
Total 100
Table No.2.2.a. 92 per cent of the respondents
reported that payment were received within15 Days
and rest did not receive their payment within15 Days.
Table No.2.2.b. Distribution of the respondents according
to the average amount paid in MNREGA
Amount of wage paid
No. (N=100)
< Rs.100 per day -
Rs.100 per day 100
>Rs. 100 per day -
Total 100
Table No.2.2.b All the 100 per cent of the
respondents were paid Rs.100 per day in MNREGA.
2.4. Extent of satisfaction of respondents about
MNREGA-
Table No.2.4. Distribution of the respondents on their level
of satisfaction about MNREGA
Extent of satisfaction
No. (N=100)
Less satisfied 10
Satisfied 15
Fully satisfied 75
Total 100
Table No.2.4 Reveal that the majority of the
respondents (75 Per cent) were fully satisfied and 15
per cent were satisfied rest were less satisfied with
MNREGA.
3. Bank accessibility of MNREGA beneficiaries
3.1 Process of opening account
Table No.3.1.a Distribution of the respondents possessing
bank accounts
Bank Accounts
No. (N=100)
Had no bank accounts 00
Had bank accounts 100
Total 100
Table No.3.1.a reveals that all the respondents had
bank accounts.
Table No.3.1.b. Distribution of the respondents on the
basis of type of bank account
Type of Bank Accounts
No. (N=100)
Individual Account 26
Joint Account 74
Total 100
Table No.3.1.b. Reveals that majority of the
respondents (74 per cent) had joint account and 26 per
cent of the respondents had individual account.
Table No.3.1.c. Distribution of the respondents on the
basis of amount paid for opening a bank account
Amount paid for opening Bank Accounts
No. (N=100)
Rs.100 46
Rs.150 56
Total 100
Table No.3.1.c. reveals that majority of the
respondents (56 per cent ) had opened their account
with Rs.150 and 46 percent had opened their account
with Rs. 100.
3.2. Process of receiving payment
Table No.3.2.a Distribution of the respondents according
to modes of payment in MNREGA
Payment received In
No. (N=100)
Cash -
Bank Accounts 100
Total 100
Table No.3.2.a Reveals that all the respondents
had received their payment in their bank accounts.
Table No.3.2.b. Distribution of the respondents according
to collection of their wages from the bank
Collecting wages from the bank through
No. (N=100)
Self 14
Gram Rojgar Sewak 86
Total 100

Indian Research Journal of Extension Education Special Issue (Volume I), January, 2012 173
Table No.3.2.b. Reveals that majority of the
respondents (86 per cent) were collecting their wages
from the bank through Gram Rojgar Sewak while 14
per cent were collecting their wages from the bank
themselves.
5.Constraints faced by the MNREGA Beneficiaries
in wage collection
TableNo.5 Distribution of the respondents on the basis of
kind of problems faced by them in collecting their wages
Types of constraints faced in
No. (N=100)
Collecting wages
Problem in accessing bank 23
It takes Long time 12
Delays in wage payment 44
Asked to come another day 21
Total 100
Table No.5 Reveals that majority of the
respondents(44 per cent) reported that they faced the
problem of delay in wage payment ,23 per cent
respondents had problem in accessing bank and 21 per
cent reported that they were asked to come another
day for wage payment and rest were reported that wage
payment process took long time.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the present study that
respondents were well aware of the procedure of the
MNREGA such as registration, having job cards, 100
days employment in a year, Process of opening bank
accounts, accessing bank, receiving payment from bank
and about the process of wage payment in MNREGA.
They were aware of employment generation process.
they faced the problem of delay in wage payment,
problem in accessing bank and were asked to come
another day for wage payment Further, it also reveals
that there was monitoring of work at all levels from
Gram Pradhan to Block Officers .Other important points
which had emerged that Gram Pradhan played a very
constructive, positive and active role in giving information
about MNREGA. So it can be concluded that MNREGA
can be an important step in poverty alleviation through
employment generation in rural population.
REFERENCES
Kurukshetra : A Journal of Rural Development. March 2011.P.P.41-42. Kurukshetra : A Journal of Rural Development. December
2009.P.P.2-41.
Nrega.nic.in/presentation/implement-NREGA.ppt.
http://narega.nic.in/NREGA_guidelinesEng.pdf
http://www.cs-delhi.com/events/downloads/nrega-concept_note.pdf
http://EXTENSION OF NREGA ACROSS THE COUNTRY