Chandrahas Choudhury — In India, a 'Workfare' Program [partial JG] That Works

Over the last 10 years in India, perhaps no other law has sparked such sustained debate as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, universally known as "Narega." Passed by the previous Congress government in February 2006 and upheld by the Narendra Modi administration, it's given rise to the world’s largest livelihood-security or “workfare” program.

The law guarantees up to 100 days of employment at the state minimum wage on local public-works projects -- road-building, well-digging, reforestation and the like. Today it counts about 100 million active (if unevenly distributed and irregularly employed) participants.…

Bloomberg View
In India, a 'Workfare' Program That Works
Chandrahas Choudhury

Bill Mitchell previously blogged on the program, India’s national employment guarantee hampered by supply constraints

I have written about the program previously:
1. Large-scale employment guarantee scheme in India improving over time.
2. Employment guarantees should be unconditional and demand-driven.
3. Employment guarantees in vogue – well not really.
4. Employment guarantees in developing countries.