MGNREGA: THE HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
In the post-Independence period, the Government wanted to uplift the socio- economic
condition (SEC) of their people who mainly depended upon forest products and daily labour.
Another important component of the governmental perspective was to settle the rural population
as agriculture population. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act,
2005, guarantees 100 days of employment in a financial year to any rural household whose adult
members are willing to do unskilled manual work. The Act has come into force with effect from
February, 2006 in 200 districts initially and later on, it was extended to all the rural districts of
India from the financial year 2008-09