Page 91 - DECO502_INDIAN_ECONOMIC_POLICY_ENGLISH

Unit 8: Unemployment in India: Concept, Causes and Government Policies

Main features of the Scheme Notes
(i) As a result of the operation of NREP and RLEGP during 1980-81 to 1988-89, rural employment
programmes reached only 55 per cent of the village panchayats around the country. JRY aimed
at reaching every single panchayat.
(ii) The scheme will be administered by the village panchayats to implement rural employment
programmes benefitting 440 lakh families living below the poverty line in India.
(iii) Whereas in the earlier rural employment programmes. Central and State assistance was provided
on 50 : 50 basis, JRY has stipulated that Central assistance will finance 80 per cent and the States
share will be 20 per cent.
Objectives of JRY

Primary Objective : Generation of gainful employment for the unemployed and under-employed,
men and women in rural areas.
Secondary Objectives : JRY had several secondary objectives :
(i) creation of sustained employment by strengthening the rural infrastructure;
(ii) creating community and social assets;
(iii) creating assets in favour of the poor for their direct and continuing benefits;
(iv) to produce positive impact on wage levels; and
(v) to bring about over-all improvement in quality of life in rural areas.
Target Groups and Special Safeguards
JRY was specially targetted to help people below the poverty line. Preference was to be given to
Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and freed bonded labourers. At least 30 per cent of the
employment was to be provided to women under the JRY.
Modification under JRY

Based on the experience gained in the implementation of the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) and to
achieve the objective of providing 90-100 days of employment per person in backward districts, JRY
was modified from 1993-94 and was implemented in the following three streams :
First Stream: On the existing pattern with two sub-schemes, namely Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) and
Million Wells Scheme (MWS)
Second Stream : An intensified JRY in 120 identified backward districts with additional allocations
Third Stream : Special and innovative projects
First Stream of JRY

Under this stream of JRY, two sub-schemes, viz.. Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) and Million Wells Scheme
(MWS) were implemented. 10 per cent of the total resources of JRY were earmarked for the IAY and
30 per cent for the MWS.
Works to be undertaken under first stream of JRY
1. Social forestry works on Government and community lands belonging to panchayats etc. road
side plantations, plantations along canal banks or on wastelands or on sides of railway lines
etc.
2. Soil and water conservation works
3. Minor irrigation works, such as, construction of community irrigation wells, drains and field
channels
4. Construction/renovation of village tanks for providing irrigation as well as drinking water
5. Construction of community sanitary latrines

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