The impact of NREGA on rural development of Nabadwip Block in COVID-19 situation, West Bengal (India)

NREGA has come after almost 56 years of other rural employment programmes in India. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was enacted on August 23, 2005. This scheme was passed and implemented in September 2005. Later, this scheme was renamed as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on October 2, 2009 (Mohanty 2012: 1).  It runs through both the Central Government sponsored and implemented by State Government (Mohanty 2012: 1). NREGA is being considered as a ‘Silver Bullet’ for the rural development. It has been eradicating rural poverty and unemployment by generating employment demand for a productive labour force in villages. Development in all societies must have at least the following three objectives: i) To increase the availability and widen the distribution of sustaining goods such as food, shelter, health and protection. ii) To raise the levels of living including higher incomes, more employment opportunities, better education and greater attention to cultural and humanistic values. iii)To expand the range of economic and social choices available to individuals and nations by freeing them from servitude and dependence not only on other people but also on the forces of ignorance and human misery (Shanthi 2017: 8). This articles includes various issues like MGNREGA Work during Covid-19, Employment Provided HHs of SC, ST and Women during Covid-19, unemployment allowance, employment opportunities, and, impact of MGNREGA on SC, ST, women, and disabled persons during Covid-19 etc. compared with pre-Covid situation.