The recent Covid-19 crisis has underscored the need for Urban Wage employment programme on the lines of MGNREGA. Such a wage employment programme in the urban areas can not only restore livelihood opportunities of the urban migrants, but it can also help us ramp up our urban infrastructure.
DESIGN OF THE PROGRAMME
Legal Sanctity: This programme should have a strong legal basis in the form of a National Urban Employment Guarantee Act which provides a statutory right to employment at specified wage rates and number of days.
Coverage: Cater both to urban informal workers and educated youths.
- Informal workers should be guaranteed 100 days of wage employment. These workers should be involved in public works such as building and maintenance of roads, parks etc.
- Educated youths Skill development and entrepreneurship. For example, the educated youths can get training through apprenticeship in municipal office, schools, hospitals.
Nature of Work:
- Public works such as construction of buildings, roads, Restoration of urban commons like water bodies, wetlands, parks etc.
- Engagement of apprentices in municipal offices, schools, Hospitals etc.
Implementation:
- Program should be implemented by Urban Local bodies (ULBs).
- Finalisation of works should be done in a participative manner through regular consultation with ward sabhas.
- Mandatory social audit and public hearings
- Time bound Grievance redressal mechanism
RATIONALE AND BENEFITS
- Absence of Wage-employment Program in Urban Areas: Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) launched in 1997 has been replaced by National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) in 2013. The NULM lays more emphasis on self-employment and entrepreneurship rather than on wage employment.
- Boost Demand & Employment Creation: As per the PLFS 2017-2018, open unemployment stands at a historic high of 6.1 per cent, and unemployment among educated youth has reached 20 per cent. Unemployment in urban areas is higher than the unemployment rate in rural areas.
- Increased Urbanisation: By 2030, it is estimated that around 42% of India’s population would be urbanised from the current 31%. Plugging deficiency in infrastructure will smoothen the process of urbanisation by promoting ease of living and facilitating economic activity.
- Changing Demography in India: Economic survey 2018-19 has highlighted that the share of working of working-age population would increase from 50% (2011) to 59% (2041), while the share of senior citizens would increase from 8% (2011) to 16% (2041). The changed demography will need the converged development of a host of infrastructure facilities such as housing, water sanitation services, digital and transportation needs.
- Climate change & disaster resilience: Building Climate Resilient infrastructure is critical for people’s well-being, quality of life, and economic prospects. The recent disasters indicate that up to 66% of total public sector losses in weather and climate related extreme events are related to infrastructure damage.
- Expansion of Constitutional Rights: An employment guarantee programme also strengthens the ‘Right to Life’ enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.