JustBaazaar Editor September 19, 2024

The Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) is one of India’s significant welfare initiatives aimed at addressing unemployment and poverty in rural areas. Launched in September 2001 by the Government of India, this scheme integrates the objectives of providing gainful employment to rural individuals while also developing local infrastructure like roads, schools, and irrigation systems. Let’s dive deeper into the key features, objectives, and impact of the SGRY.

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Key Objectives of Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana

  1. Rural Employment Generation: The primary objective of the SGRY is to create employment opportunities for unskilled laborers in rural areas. The scheme focuses on alleviating poverty by offering jobs to the rural poor.
  2. Infrastructure Development: In addition to providing employment, SGRY focuses on the construction and improvement of rural infrastructure. This includes the construction of village roads, water bodies, community assets, and school buildings.
  3. Food Security: One of the unique aspects of the scheme is the provision of wages in both cash and food grains. This ensures that rural households not only receive monetary compensation but also access to essential food supplies, helping to combat hunger and malnutrition.
  4. Inclusive Growth: SGRY emphasizes employment opportunities for marginalized sections of society, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women. It ensures that at least 30% of the employment generated is reserved for women, promoting gender equality in rural development.

Structure and Implementation

The scheme is implemented by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at both the village and block levels. The funds for the program are shared between the central and state governments, with contributions coming from both. The work projects taken up under this scheme are chosen based on local needs, ensuring that the program responds directly to the community’s development priorities.

Wage Structure: The wages are paid partly in cash and partly in food grains, with an emphasis on ensuring that food security is a core outcome of employment under the scheme.

Key Features

  1. Dual Focus: SGRY addresses both unemployment and infrastructure development simultaneously. It provides short-term employment solutions while creating long-term community assets.
  2. Cash and Food Grain Compensation: Workers receive daily wages along with food grains, helping rural households to meet their nutritional needs.
  3. Decentralized Implementation: Local authorities, particularly Gram Panchayats, play a critical role in identifying projects and implementing the scheme, ensuring that it caters to the local needs of the villages.
  4. Special Focus on SC/ST and Women: The scheme mandates special attention to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women in rural areas. It ensures fair participation in employment projects.

Impact of Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana

Since its launch, the SGRY has had a positive impact on rural employment and poverty reduction. Some of the notable achievements include:

  • Reduction in Rural Poverty: By providing employment during the lean agricultural seasons, the scheme has helped reduce rural poverty and migration to urban areas.
  • Improved Rural Infrastructure: The construction of roads, community buildings, and water conservation structures has improved the quality of life in rural regions and fostered economic development.
  • Women Empowerment: By ensuring that 30% of employment opportunities are reserved for women, the scheme has promoted gender equality in rural areas, increasing women’s participation in the workforce.

Challenges and Criticism

While the SGRY has been largely successful, it has faced several challenges:

  1. Delayed Payments: In some regions, there have been delays in the payment of wages, both in cash and in kind, causing distress to workers.
  2. Leakages and Corruption: As with many large-scale government programs, there have been reports of leakages, corruption, and inefficiencies in the implementation of the scheme.
  3. Limited Employment Duration: The scheme offers only temporary employment opportunities, which means that it does not provide a long-term solution to unemployment in rural areas.

Transition to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA)

In 2006, the SGRY was merged with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). While MGNREGA expanded upon the foundations laid by SGRY, it brought about important changes such as guaranteed employment and legal entitlements to rural workers, ensuring more comprehensive support for the rural population.

Beneficiaries of SGRY

The SGRY is available for all rural poor in need of wage employment. It helps the people who wish to do unskilled and manual work in and around their village. This scheme is self-targeting in nature. However, preference will be given to the following persons while providing wage employment:

  • Agricultural wage earners.
  • Marginal farmers.
  • Non-agricultural unskilled wage earners.
  • Women.
  • Persons affected due to calamities.
  • Parents of child labour withdrawn from hazardous occupations.
  • Members of Scheduled Castes (SC) or Scheduled Tribes (ST).
  • Parents of disabled children.
  • Adult children of disabled parents desirous of working for wage employment.

Wages Under SGRY

The wages under the SGRY will be paid to the beneficiaries partly in cash and partly in foodgrains. The wages paid under the SGRY for skilled and unskilled labour will not be below the minimum wages fixed by the State authorities.

Under the SGRY scheme, a minimum of 5 kg of food grains for labour is provided as part of wages. The balance wages are paid in cash. However, a minimum of 25% of wages should be paid in cash.

The Central Government provides cash components and food grains to the state government/UT administrations to generate additional wage employment. The beneficiaries will take up work/employment within the available funds as per the area’s need.

Safeguards for Weaker Sections and Women Under SGRY

Under the SGRY scheme, 22.5% of the annual allocation, including food grains, allocated at the district and intermediate Panchayat level will be earmarked for the individual or group beneficiaries belonging to the BPL category of SC/ST families.

A minimum of 50% of the funds of the village Panchayat allocation, including foodgrains, will be earmarked for creating need-based village infrastructure in the SC/ST wards or habitations. The government will also provide 30% of employment opportunities for women.

Works Undertaken Under SGRY

The works undertaken should be such works that create durable, productive community assets. The priority is given to the following works under SGRY:

  • Infrastructure support for the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Scheme.
  • Infrastructure required to support agricultural activities in the village Panchayat area.
  • Community infrastructure for health, education including kitchen sheds and internal link roads, i.e. roads linking a village to the main road, even if the main road is outside the Panchayat area.
  • Socio-economic community assets.
  • Renovation and desiltation of traditional village ponds or tanks.

Works Undertaken to Benefit SCs/STs 

Under the SGRY scheme, 22.5 % of the resources released to the district and intermediate Panchayat will be used for individual or group works of BLP category SCs/STs. The list of economic assets or works that can be taken up for the benefit of identified individuals or groups belonging to SCs/STs are as under:

  • Development of Bhoodan land, surplus land or government land.
  • Social forestry works, such as fodder and fuelwood plantations on the private lands belonging to the SC or ST community.
  • Horticulture, agri-horticulture, floriculture or plantation on the private lands belonging to the BPL category of SCs/STs.
  • Work infrastructure or sheds for self-employment programmes.
  • Works related to bore wells for irrigation or open irrigation wells.
  • Pond re-excavation or excavation works.
  • Other sustainable income-generating assets.

Works Prohibited Under SGRY

The works that are prohibited under the SGRY are as follows:

  • Buildings for religious purposes such as temples, mosques, churches and gurudwaras.
  • Memorial statues, monuments, arch, idols, welcome gates, bridges or gates.
  • Buildings for higher secondary schools and colleges.
  • Black topping of roads

The Ministry of Rural Development at the Central level and the Rural Development Department of the State Government monitor the SGRY programme through monthly and annual progress reports. In addition, the monitoring and vigilance committees at the district and state levels will also oversee the SGRY programme according to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development.

Conclusion

The Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana marked a significant step in addressing rural unemployment and poverty in India. While it has since been merged with MGNREGA, its focus on infrastructure development, food security, and gender equality continues to inspire rural employment schemes in India. The SGRY played a vital role in shaping policies aimed at empowering the rural workforce and laying the foundation for India’s future development.

FAQs

1. What is the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)?

SGRY is a rural employment scheme launched by the Government of India in September 2001. It aims to provide gainful employment to unskilled laborers in rural areas while simultaneously developing rural infrastructure.

2. What are the objectives of SGRY?

The primary objectives are:

  • Employment generation for unskilled workers in rural areas.
  • Infrastructure development in rural areas.
  • Ensuring food security through partial wage payments in food grains.

3. Who is eligible for SGRY?

Unemployed persons in rural areas, especially those below the poverty line (BPL), can benefit from SGRY. The scheme prioritizes the most vulnerable, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and women.

4. How is employment provided under the SGRY?

Employment is provided through public works projects in rural areas, such as the construction of roads, irrigation facilities, and schools. These projects are chosen based on local needs by Panchayati Raj Institutions.

5. What is the wage structure under SGRY?

Wages under SGRY are paid in a combination of cash and food grains. This ensures that workers receive both monetary compensation and essential food supplies, promoting food security.

6. How much of the funds are shared between the central and state governments?

The cost of the SGRY is shared by the Central Government (75%) and the State Government (25%).

7. Are there any special provisions for women under SGRY?

Yes, at least 30% of the employment opportunities generated under the scheme are reserved for women. This provision promotes gender equality in rural employment.

8. What kind of projects are undertaken under SGRY?

Projects include:

  • Construction of roads and infrastructure.
  • Water conservation and irrigation development.
  • Building schools and community centers.

9. What role do Panchayati Raj Institutions play in SGRY?

Panchayats play a crucial role in identifying the projects, implementing them, and monitoring the progress of the scheme at both village and block levels.

10. How does SGRY ensure food security?

A portion of the wage is paid in food grains, ensuring that rural households receive essential food supplies, helping them meet their nutritional needs.

11. What is the role of the government in monitoring the scheme?

The Ministry of Rural Development along with state authorities and local Panchayats are responsible for monitoring the implementation, ensuring transparency, and addressing challenges.

12. How is SGRY different from MGNREGA?

While SGRY provided temporary employment, MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), launched in 2006, guarantees 100 days of wage employment per year to every rural household. MGNREGA also focuses on legal entitlements for workers.

13. What are the challenges faced by SGRY?

The major challenges include:

  • Delayed payments to workers.
  • Leakages and corruption in the implementation process.
  • The scheme offers temporary employment, which doesn’t provide long-term solutions.

14. How long is the employment period under SGRY?

SGRY provides temporary employment. The duration depends on the availability of funds, the size of the project, and the demand for labor in the region.

15. What impact did SGRY have on rural poverty?

SGRY helped reduce rural poverty by providing employment during lean agricultural seasons and creating sustainable rural infrastructure like roads and water bodies.

16. Can people from urban areas benefit from SGRY?

No, SGRY is specifically designed to benefit rural populations, especially those in economically backward and poverty-stricken areas.

17. What happened to SGRY after MGNREGA was introduced?

SGRY was merged with MGNREGA in 2006. MGNREGA expanded on SGRY’s goals by providing guaranteed wage employment and focusing on legal entitlements for rural workers.

18. How is the performance of the scheme evaluated?

The performance of SGRY is evaluated through regular audits and monitoring by the Ministry of Rural Development and state-level authorities. Independent assessments are also conducted to measure the scheme’s impact.

19. Can Gram Panchayats independently select projects under SGRY?

Yes, Gram Panchayats have the authority to select and implement projects based on the local needs of the community. This decentralized approach ensures that the projects are aligned with the requirements of the village.

20. What kind of social impact did SGRY create?

SGRY significantly impacted rural society by reducing migration to cities, empowering women through reserved employment opportunities, and improving infrastructure and food security in villages.