Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Scheme

Context

Recently, the Rajasthan Chief Minister launched a scheme on the lines of the MGNREGA to provide 100 days of employment to families in urban areas.

About Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Scheme

• This scheme aims to provide economic support to the poor and needy families living in the cities through work to be provided on demand for 100 days in a year.
• The scheme would cover works like environment protection, water and heritage conservation, garden maintenance, and removing encroachments, illegal sign boards, hoardings, banners etc. Sanitation, cleanliness and other such works will also be undertaken under the scheme.
• The state government has allocated Rs 800 crore for the scheme. Ministers in charge of districts will launch the scheme in their respective areas.
• The ratio of material cost and remuneration cost for getting the work approved and executed of “general nature” will be 25:75, while the ratio will be reversed for the works of “special nature”.
• Payments will be made in the bank accounts of the beneficiary within 15 days.
• A provision has been made in the scheme to redress complaints and conduct a social audit.
• People in the 18 to 60 age group are eligible for the scheme under which at least 50 people in each ward of urban local bodies will be given employment.
• Registration: A Janaadhar card or its registration slip is required. 

• Registrations can be done at e-Mitra centres.

Significance

• Countering Inflation: Any family that wants to increase their income at a time of high inflation could seek jobs under it.
• Standard of living: This will also improve the standard of living of the people. 
• COVID: When the employment crisis increased during the coronavirus pandemic, the MGNREGA proved to be a boon.
• Employment: Rajasthan Government said that nearly 40,000 people got the work on the first day.

Other initiatives by the Rajasthan Government 

• Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme: The state government has made treatment free under the Chiranjeevi scheme so that the poor do not need to sell their belongings to get treatment.
• Smartphone distribution: Government will give smartphones with three years of free internet connection to 1.35 crore women.
• Mahatma Gandhi English Medium schools: To provide education to children in English medium.
• Sanitary napkins: There is also a scheme to distribute free sanitary napkins to women.
• Kucchi bastis: Government also talked about the problems faced by people living in slums and said the state government will regularise kucchi bastis. 

Urban Employment Guarantee Schemes of other States

• Kerala: Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (AUEGS), launched in 2010, aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in urban areas by guaranteeing hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to an urban household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
• Himachal Pradesh: Mukhya Mantri Shahri Ajeevika Guarantee Yojna was launched in 2020 to enhance livelihood security in urban areas by providing 120 days of guaranteed wage employment to every household in a financial year.
• Jharkhand: Mukhyamantri Shramik Yojana was launched in 2020 to enhance livelihood security in Jharkhand State by providing a guaranteed 100 days wage employment in a financial year.