Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana

The Government of India launched the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) on 25 September 2001 by merging the ongoing schemes of the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) and the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojna (JGSY). 

The SGRY was launched to provide food and profitable employment to the rural poor. Under the SGRY scheme, the government gives wages and food grains to individuals Below the Poverty Line (BPL).

At present, the SGRY scheme has been merged with the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) since February 2006, now renamed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Objectives of SGRY

The primary objective of the SGRY is to provide supplementary and additional wage employment, thereby providing food security and improving nutritional levels in all rural areas. 

The secondary objective of the SGRY is creating durable community, social-economic assets and infrastructural development in rural areas.

Features of SGRY

• The SGRY is implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme on a cost-sharing basis between the Centre and states in the ratio of 75:25 of the cash component.
• In the case of UTs, the Central Government provides the entire (100%) funds. 
• Foodgrains are provided to the UTs or state governments free of cost.
• The scheme is implemented through the Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs).
• The food grains and funds are available for all the three tiers of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs), which are:
  • District Panchayat.
  • Intermediate Panchayat.
  • Village Panchayat.
• The resources amongst the district, intermediate and village Panchayat of a district are distributed in the ratio of 20:30:50.
• The Ministry of Rural Development will retain food grains and 5% funds under the SGRY for utilisation during distress arising from natural calamities or as preventive measures in chronic drought or flood-affected rural areas.

Beneficiaries of SGRY

The SGRY is available for all rural poor in need of wage employment. It helps the people who wish to do unskilled and manual work in and around their village. This scheme is self-targeting in nature. However, preference will be given to the following persons while providing wage employment:

• Agricultural wage earners.
• Marginal farmers.
• Non-agricultural unskilled wage earners.
• Women.
• Persons affected due to calamities.
• Parents of child labour withdrawn from hazardous occupations.
• Members of Scheduled Castes (SC) or Scheduled Tribes (ST).
• Parents of disabled children.
• Adult children of disabled parents desirous of working for wage employment.

Wages Under SGRY

The wages under the SGRY will be paid to the beneficiaries partly in cash and partly in foodgrains. The wages paid under the SGRY for skilled and unskilled labour will not be below the minimum wages fixed by the State authorities.

Under the SGRY scheme, a minimum of 5 kg of food grains for labour is provided as part of wages. The balance wages are paid in cash. However, a minimum of 25% of wages should be paid in cash.

The Central Government provides cash components and food grains to the state government/UT administrations to generate additional wage employment. The beneficiaries will take up work/employment within the available funds as per the area’s need.

Safeguards for Weaker Sections and Women Under SGRY

Under the SGRY scheme, 22.5% of the annual allocation, including food grains, allocated at the district and intermediate Panchayat level will be earmarked for the individual or group beneficiaries belonging to the BPL category of SC/ST families. 

A minimum of 50% of the funds of the village Panchayat allocation, including foodgrains, will be earmarked for creating need-based village infrastructure in the SC/ST wards or habitations. The government will also provide 30% of employment opportunities for women.

Works Undertaken Under SGRY

The works undertaken should be such works that create durable, productive community assets. The priority is given to the following works under SGRY:

• Infrastructure support for the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Scheme.
• Infrastructure required to support agricultural activities in the village Panchayat area.
• Community infrastructure for health, education including kitchen sheds and internal link roads, i.e. roads linking a village to the main road, even if the main road is outside the Panchayat area.
• Socio-economic community assets.
• Renovation and desiltation of traditional village ponds or tanks.

Works Undertaken to Benefit SCs/STs 

Under the SGRY scheme, 22.5 % of the resources released to the district and intermediate Panchayat will be used for individual or group works of BLP category SCs/STs. The list of economic assets or works that can be taken up for the benefit of identified individuals or groups belonging to SCs/STs are as under: 

• Development of Bhoodan land, surplus land or government land.
• Social forestry works, such as fodder and fuelwood plantations on the private lands belonging to the SC or ST community.
• Horticulture, agri-horticulture, floriculture or plantation on the private lands belonging to the BPL category of SCs/STs. 
• Work infrastructure or sheds for self-employment programmes.
• Works related to bore wells for irrigation or open irrigation wells. 
• Pond re-excavation or excavation works.
• Other sustainable income-generating assets.

Works Prohibited Under SGRY

The works that are prohibited under the SGRY are as follows:

• Buildings for religious purposes such as temples, mosques, churches and gurudwaras.
• Memorial statues, monuments, arch, idols, welcome gates, bridges or gates.
• Buildings for higher secondary schools and colleges.
• Black topping of roads

The Ministry of Rural Development at the Central level and the Rural Development Department of the State Government monitor the SGRY programme through monthly and annual progress reports. In addition, the monitoring and vigilance committees at the district and state levels will also oversee the SGRY programme according to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development.