Thank You , Shri Sanjiv Mehta

 Thank You , Shri Sanjiv Mehta

 

(sanjiv.mehta@unilever.com )

 

 

What For ?

For thinking about the URBAN poor

 

Context :

Need MGNREGA-like scheme for urban poor: HUL chief   /  TNN  /  24 Jan 2022

Extract :

 

The government could look at extending the outlay on MGNREGA till the economy fully recovers and the rural markets and consumption goes back to its normal beat

 

However, in the last 2 years, very little has been done for the urban poor

 

During the pandemic, restaurants, hotels and tourism have been impacted in a big way

 

We have been asking the government that we need to look at a MNREGA equivalent for the urban poor

 

The same can be customized to the urban needs

 

Dear Shri Mehta,

 

Thank you for suggesting a MNREGA equivalent for the urban poor

 

For specifics of such a scheme, you may want to look up my following mail to Cabinet Ministers / NITI Aayog :

 

MGNREGA : Can it morph into UBI ?................................. [ 11 May 2020 ]

 

Extract :

 

MGNREGA should be re-named, MGNRUGA ( Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Urban Employment Guarantee Act )

 

 

Ø  Besides RURAL households, it should cover URBAN households as well

 

 

Ø  Besides “ Unskilled Manual Work “, it must also cover “ Semi-skilled / Skilled “ work as well

 

 

Ø  The daily wages payable , must be the “ Minimum Wage “ at the start of each Skill level grade and periodically revised upward, depending upon CPI

 

 

Ø  Number of “ Guaranteed Days of Work Employment / year “ should be :

 

#  Rural Areas …………………………… 300 days ( up from current 100 days )

 

 

#  Urban Areas :

 

          Class II towns ………………… 200 days

 

          Class I Cities……………………  100 days

 

 

Ø  On MGNRUGA website , there will be provision for,

 

 

#  Jobless persons to register ( providing full personal data / job locations preferred / Skill level /

     prior experience etc )

 

 

#  Companies / Establishments to register , providing full details of vacancies

 

 

#  Match-making / Allocation etc

 

 

 

Ø  If an Urban establishment provides work to any of the REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED

 

      referred by MGNRUGA web site, it will not be required to pay wages ( to those  persons ), for

      periods mentioned above.

 

 

      For them, the wages will get paid directly by the Ministry subsidizing, at rates prescribed under

      the Act ( DBT ) . Any wages paid in excess , will have to be borne by the establishment concerned

 

 

     This “ Wage Subsidy “ will be available ONLY to those establishments, who install in their

     premises, Mobile-based Attendance System , as described at :

 

 

          From BAD to MAD                   [ 01 June 2016 ]

              MAD goes to Mandi                  [ 02 Jan 2020  ]

 

HOW WILL THIS HELP ?

 

Ø  This modification of Scheme will cover jobless persons, all over India – not only Rural India

 

Ø  The scheme as it stands now, covers “ works “ related only to ,

             #   Soil and Water Conservation

             #   Ground Water Recharge

             #   Irrigation

             #   Drainage

             #   Plantation

             #   Land……. Etc

 

           My suggestion will extend the scheme to cover urban offices / factories / shops etc , where millions

           Have been rendered jobless due to lockdown

 

 

          Current rural schemes have to be monitored by govt officers / panchayat office-bearers, who may lack

          supervision skills and / or lack “ motivation “ to ensure that each MGNREGA worker puts in honest /

          hard / productive work, at the end of the day !

 

          As against this, when organized / profit driven establishments ( in Urban setting ) are supervising such

          workers, productivity of “ Asset Generation “, will be very high !

 

 

        { Read : https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/11/discovering-obvious.html  }

 

 

Ø    Because of this Wage Subsidy ( better name it CORONA EMPATHY – so as not to run foul of WTO ) , MSME will revive faster , with less worry for Cash Flow . Products will become cheaper

 

 

Ø    By providing jobs and enabling people to earn their own living , there will be no need for Delhi-type “ doles “ – which are unsustainable in long run

 

 

Ø    This ( scheme ) overcomes the major objections against UBI ( Universal Basic Income ), viz :

 

 

#  How to decide whom ( defining “ poor “ is difficult ), to give UBI

 

 

#  People will become too dependent on “ Sarkar Maa-Baap “ and become lazy / stop looking for work

 

 

Ø  It is better than the Unemployment Allowance of USA ( now for 33 million persons, sitting at home )

 

 

Dear Shri Narendrabhai,

 

 

 

It is time to think about a PERMANENT SOLUTION to this problem of UN-EMPLOYMENT { even beyond COVID }

 

 

Please consider my suggestion

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 25 Jan 2022

 

Related Readings :

 

How to Alleviate Urban Poverty…………………………… [ 10 Sept 2020 ]

Urban Poor : Existence Admitted !..................... [ 21 June 2020 ]

 

Discovering the Obvious ? ................................ .[ 30 Nov 2017 ]