Around 70 per cent of the Indian population is living in rural areas. People in rural areas should
have same QOL as is enjoyed by people living in sub-urban and urban areas. Furthermore, the
cascading effects of poverty, unemployment, poor and inadequate infrastructure in rural areas on
urban centres is leading to socio-economic tensions manifesting in economic deprivation and
urban poverty.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is considered as a
“Silver Bullet” for eradicating rural poverty and unemployment, by way of generating demand
for productive labour force in Indian villages. It provides an alternative source of livelihood
which will have an impact on reducing migration, restricting child labour, alleviating poverty,
and making villages self- sustaining through productive assets creation such as road construction,