Features
- increased work days w/ seasonal pause
- from 100 to 125
- 60 day pause during peak agri sowing / harvesting
- states bear more funding (60/40)
- top down allocation
- MGNREGA allocation was bottom up, based on state submitted labour budget
- 16th Finance Commission recommendation used to decide devolution
- performance based withheld allocation
- states bear excess expenditure if empolyment exceeds allocation
- DBT wage payments
Concerns
- states:
- 40% wage burden
- high demand state like AP, TN set to receive lower devolution in 16thFC
- performance based withheld allocation can indirectly affect worker if states under invest in compliance
- 60 day pause creates uncertainty
- harms landless workers, women
- reinforces land, caste, gender hierarchies
- no wage rate declared yet
- erosion of enforceable rights
- threat to federal balance