Vidhi Codex

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005

Labour200534 sections6 chapters

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, regulates and guarantees the right to work in rural India. It applies to any rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual labor. The law mandates that state governments provide at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment per financial year to these households. If the government fails to provide work within fifteen days of application, it must pay an unemployment allowance. This landmark legislation matters because it legally secures basic livelihoods, reduces rural poverty, halts distress migration, and empowers marginalized communities by providing economic security and dignity.

Start reading →Read full ActSections

Chapter I PRELIMINARY →

  1. 1Short title, extent and commencement.
  2. 2Definitions.

Chapter II GUARANTEE OF EMPLOYMENT IN RURAL AREAS →

  1. 3Guarantee of rural employment to households.

Chapter III EMOPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEMES AND UNEMPLOYMENT ALLOWANCE →

  1. 4Employment Guarantee Schemes for rural areas.
  2. 5Conditions for providing guaranteed employment.
  3. 6Wage rate.
  4. 7Payment of unemployment allowance.
  5. 8Non-disbursement of unemployment allowance in certain circumstances.
  6. 9Disentitlement to receive unemployment allowance in certain circumstances.

Chapter IV IMPLEMENTING AND MONITORING AUTHORITIES →

  1. 10Central Employment Guarantee Council.
  2. 11Functions and duties of Central Council.
  3. 12State Employment Guarantee Council.
  4. 13Principal authorities for planning and implementation of Schemes.
  5. 14District Programme Coordinator.
  6. 15Programme Officer.
  7. 16Responsibilities of the Gram Panchayats.
  8. 17Social audit of work by Gram Sabha.
  9. 18Responsibilities of State Government in implementing Scheme.
  10. 19Grievance redressal mechanism.

Chapter V ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONALAND STATE EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE FUNDSAND AUDIT →

  1. 20National Employment Guarantee Fund.
  2. 21State Employment Guarantee Fund.
  3. 22Funding pattern.
  4. 23Transparency and accountability.
  5. 24Audit of accounts.

Chapter VI MISCELLANEOUS →

  1. 25Penalty for non-compliance.
  2. 26Power to delegate.
  3. 27Power of Central Government to give directions.
  4. 28Act to have overriding effect.
  5. 29Power to amend Schedules.
  6. 30Protection of action taken in good faith.
  7. 31Power of Central Government to make rules.
  8. 32Power of State Government to make rules.
  9. 33Laying of rules and Schemes.
  10. 34Power to remove difficulties.

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