Conference on Managing Agriculture 21 August 2009

1. Conference on Managing Agriculture21 August 2009 National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Rita Sharma Secretary Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India

2. Presentation Overview • Performance of NREGA • Inter-sectoral Convergence of NREGS • NREGA in Drought Affected States • Executive Instructions

3. Performance of NREGA

4. NREGA National Overview (Upto FY 2008-09) 4

5. NREGA Performance 2008-09 • Employment provided to 4.5 crore HHs • 48% of workers were women • 55% of workers were SC/ST • Average no. of workdays per household 48 • Average wage rate Rs. 84 per day • Average earnings per household Rs. 4032 • Expenditure: Rs. 27,000 cr. ( wages 67% ) • 26.7 lakh works undertaken • 70% relate to water conservation & land development

6. Bi-focal Lens of NREGA • Supplements employment opportunities • Addresses causes of chronic poverty through works including • Water conservation & water harvesting • Drought Proofing (afforestation & tree plantation) • Irrigation canals, micro & minor irrigation works • Works on individual land of SC/ST/BPL/IAY/ Land reform beneficiaries/ Small & Marginal farmers • Renovation of traditional water bodies • Land development • Flood control & protection, drainage • Rural connectivity

7. Increasing share of irrigation works on private lands -Small & Marginal Farmers account for 80 % of all land holdings and operate about 40% of all cultivated land. Permitting private works on lands of small & marginal farmers implies coverage of 40% of all cultivated area. Of the 142 million hectares of land under cultivation about 57 million hectares will come under ambit of NREGA works 7

8. Water Tables beginning to get recharged Improvement in land productivity Plantation/ afforestation Focus on Water Conservation Land Development, flood protection & drainage Others Water Conservation, water harvesting Renovation of traditional water bodies Drought proofing, Afforestation Rural Connectivity Provision of Irrigation Facility to SC/ST & BPL

9. Works under NREGA in 3 years- FY 2006-07 to FY 2008-09 9

10. NREGA: Positive Trends • Increase in supplementary income of workers of an average of Rs. 4032 per HH in 2008-09 • Bargaining power of labour increased to enforce minimum wage • Distress migration has reduced in many parts • “Green Jobs” created as 70% works relate to water conservation, water-harvesting, restoration, renovation and desilting of water bodies, drought-proofing, plantation & afforestation • Productivity effects of NREGA reported - Improvement in ground water - Improved agricultural productivity & cropping intensity - Livelihood diversification in rural areas. 10

11. Inter-Sectoral Convergence of NREGA

12. President’s Address to Parliament – 4 June 2009 • … enlarge the scope of works permitted under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act presently limited to unskilled manual work. The opportunity for improving land productivity through NREGA will be maximized through better convergence of NREGA with other programmes. To ensure transparency and public accountability, independent monitoring and grievance redressal mechanisms will be set up at the district level …

13. Improving Land and Water Productivity through NREGA Expansion of private works to include Small & Marginal Farmers- Gram Panchayats to ensure that (as per permissible list) lands of SC / ST and BPL receive first and due priority 60% lands of small & marginal farmers and 90% lands of tribal farmers are unirrigated Priority to Farm Ponds or Dug-wells in Rainfed Areas Special focus will be on those who receive “pattas” under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006

14. Conditions for work on Individual Land • Must be a Job Card holder • Maintain 60:40 ratio on farm • No use of machinery • No purchase of machinery • Payment through banks/Post Office accounts • Subject to Social Audits • Must be approved by Gram Sabha as part of Shelf of Projects

15. Inter-Sectoral Convergence:Creation of Durable & Productive Assets • Objective is to move from mere wage employment to sustainable rural livelihoods • From unskilled to skilled labour, from manual labour to farmers • Farming is a skilled and knowledge intensive exercise which requires knowledge & technology input, training & capacity building in productivity increases, water-use efficiency, sustainable agronomic practices, backward–forward linkages • Significant productivity increases could be stimulated by NREGA on holdings of SC/ ST/ BPL/ small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas

16. Convergence with Ministry of Water ResourcesGuidelines Issued For Effective Water conservation and efficient Water use Artificial Recharge of Ground Water through Dug well Repair, Renovation and Restoration of water bodies directly linked to Agriculture/ Aquaculture Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme Flood Management Programme Farmer’s Participation Action Research Programme Command Area Development & Water Management Programme Value Addition: The work of Canal plantation and Canal fair weather road may be carried out under NREGA as value addition. 16

17. Convergence with Watershed ProgrammesGuidelines Issued Project of a village to be prepared on Watershed approach • Delineation of Watershed as per Common guidelines for Watershed • Under NREGA, the size can be an area of the village matching micro watershed i.e. nearly 250 to 500 hectares. • Gap Filling through NREGA a) Areas treated under Watershed Development programme but not saturated because of insufficient cost norms. b) Difficult areas, being treated under the watershed Development programme, where the revised cost norms is also not sufficient to saturate the area. c) New areas; neither yet treated nor planned under watershed programme and where works are to be planned on watershed approach under NREGA.

18. Triggering Green Revolution in Rainfed Areas Green Revolution bypassed the rainfed areas. Agriculture Development Programmes and NREGS convergence have potential to become a life-support system in the rainfed areas Most NREGA works contribute directly or indirectly to agricultural development Convergence of NREGS with Schemes of Ministry of Agriculture can improve soil health & water conservation which are vital for agriculture productivity

19. Convergence with Ministry of Agriculture Guidelines issued with ICAR • NREGA works support agricultural development through: • Additional land under irrigation/ cultivation • Improved soil fertility and moisture conservation • Increase usage of inputs through increased household earnings • Potential for Convergence with agriculture and allied programmes: • National Horticulture Mission, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana • National Food Security Mission, • National Agriculture Innovation Project • Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Development • Intensive Dairy Development Programme

20. NREGA in Drought Affected States

21. Drought Situation in 2009-10 246 districts in 10 States drought affected 1 Uttar Pradesh: 58 of 71 districts 2 Bihar: 26 of 38 3 Maharashtra: 22 of 33 4 Jharkhand: All 24 5 Manipur: All 9 6 Assam: All 27 7 Himachal Pradesh: All 12 8 Nagaland: All 11 9 Karnataka: 20 of 29 10 Madhya Pradesh: 37of 48

24. Advisory to States Assessment of labour & works in areas of deficient rainfall GPs to be ready with Shelf of Projects Shelf of Projects may be revised and submitted to Ministry for additional budgetary support Ensure adequate funds available in every GP Special attention to water conservation & harvesting, restoration & renovation of water bodies Monitoring of Drought Affected Districts Drought Monitoring Group set up in MoRD to meet every Tuesday at 9.30 a.m. 24

25. Thank You