Coupling a ladder to the safety net: reinventing MGNREGA for asset creation. Issue 4 (19th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tambe, Sandeep; Bhutia, Nima Tashi; Pradhan, Sarika; Basi, Jigme
• Is Part Of: Development in practice. Volume 29:Issue 4(2019)
• Page Start: 514
• Page End: 524
• Publication Date: 2019-05-19
• Subjects: Governance and public policy -- Labour and livelihoods -- Rights -- South Asia; Technical assistance -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Economic assistance -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Developing countries -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; 338.91091724
• DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2019.1567687
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0961-4524

Abstract

ABSTRACT: India's rural employment act (MGNREGA), the world's largest public works programme, is designed to guarantee wage employment as a statutory right. It is viewed by many as a drain on the public exchequer, as wages are paid but durable assets are not created. Can this safety net be restructured to double up as a ladder of opportunity for the poor without altering its entitlement-based framework? This article shows that implementing four sets of interventions – policy for household livelihood assets, convergence approaches, pro-poor participatory planning, and strengthening accountability, can accelerate the creation of livelihood assets in the lands of the poor.