New Delhi: The national rural employment guarantee scheme is expected to set a record of sorts this year—of providing 50 days of employment to unskilled manual labour, according to the rural development ministry.

Given that the programme—which promises 100 days of work a year to an unskilled person—has so far only managed to average between 43 and 46 days of work per year, provision of 50 days of work in 2015-16 would be a feat.

But it is to be taken as an indicator of the extent of rural distress given the two consecutive years of drought, said analysts.

“Being a drought year, there has been a great demand for work. So, it has to be seen against the backdrop of rural distress," said Nikhil Dey, social activist and member of Rajasthan-based Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan.

“The government has acknowledged the potential of MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) in alleviating rural distress," said Himanshu, associate professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and visiting fellow at Centre de Sciences Humaines, New Delhi. “If the number of days of employment per household on an average is to touch 50 days, it should be appreciated. I hope the government will continue to fund the programme whether it is a drought year or not," Himanshu said.

In the budget for 2016-17, announced by finance minister Arun Jaitley on 29 February, an allocation of ₹ 38,500 crore was made for MGNREGS.

In 2015-16, the budget for MGNREGS touched ₹ 47,000 crore. This translates to roughly ₹ 4,000 crore a month, a rural development ministry official said. Approximately 50.91 crore person days were generated in the third quarter, October to December 2015.

“This proves what senior government ministers including our own minister Chaudhury Birender Singh has been saying that the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government is committed to MGNREGS," the official cited above said. “The minister had spoken of a revival of MGNREGS, this is the proof," said the official, referring to rural development minister Singh’s comments on 2 February, which marked the completion of a decade of MGNREGS.

Introduced by the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in 2006, the rural employment programme has been a key source of livelihood for millions of rural households. It guarantees up to 100 days of unskilled work in a year to one member of every rural household and is credited with raising rural household incomes.

Criticism against the scheme include delayed payment to workers, siphoning off of funds and creation of non-durable assets.

With the NDA coming to power, speculation was rife that the NDA would wind up the programme or limit it to 200 districts instead of across the country.

According to activists, there were unwritten orders to local administrators not to start new activities and send away people demanding work.

But adverse election results in Bihar in November and pressure from people within the Bharatiya Janata Party itself forced the NDA government to do a rethink.

“If this year (2015-16) looks like a good year for MGNREGS, it is because the previous year (2014-15) was a very bad year. This year, more funds have been made available and we have a situation where people are turning up and asking for jobs," Dey said.

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