“The concept of rural restructuring and development seems to have been prevalent in India since pre-independence times. There were many problems during the British rule. To solve that, some thinkers, social activists, writers, etc., had come up with ideas for rural reconstruction. Not only that, but efforts were also made to bring their ideas to practice. But in the pre-independence period, efforts for rural development were limited" [1]. The development of the society here seems to have started during the period of British rule. The process of westernization, modernization and industrialization that came to India with the British shocked the village structure for the first time. The rural economic structure was affected.Even in such a state of deprivation, efforts have been made for overall rural development in India. Various schemes, programs and experiments have been implemented for rural development. Between 1875 and 1901, the country experienced frequent droughts [2]. The society, which was already mired in poverty, ignorance due to drought, was in further decline. The British government, which was indifferent to the development of Indian society, had also started implementing some rural development schemes. But not much has been achieved due to lack of proper coordination between the administration and the target group regarding local needs and available resources. Apart from the efforts made by the British at the government level, some NGOs and associations had undertaken various initiatives for the betterment and development of rural society.The Community Development Scheme in the country has launched on 2nd October 1952. Although the main objective of this scheme was community development. The Integrated Rural Development Program was started in the country from 1978-79 to eradicate poverty. The Integrated Rural Development Program is a joint venture between the Central and State Governments. Fifty per cent share of both the governments is used for this. The Rural Development Department works to control and coordinate this scheme. District Rural Development Agency has been set up in almost all the districts of the country with the objective of effective implementation of the Integrated Rural Development Program. The central 
government had undertaken an ambitious program in 1989 to address the problem of rural unemployment in India. The program was called 'Jawahar Rozgar Yojana'. The ‘National Rural Employment Program’ was launched in 1980 and the ‘Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Program’ in 1983 to eradicate rural unemployment and poverty in rural areas. Both these programs have been included in the 'Jawahar Rozgar Yojana' with the objective of making the implementation of the rural employment program successful and fruitful. On 23rd August 2005, the Loksabha passed the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, 2005 to implement the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. It was approved by the President on 5th September 2005. The question of how to implement this scheme in Maharashtra and how to link the existing employment guarantee scheme in Maharashtra with this national scheme was under consideration of the government. Considering this, the government has decided on the decision planning department number: “ROHYO” likely refers to “Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” or “Rozgar Hami Yojana,” depending on the context and taken into account all the best and necessary steps in both the Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Act-1977 and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act-2005 (NREGA), as per section 4 and 28, a comprehensive employment guarantee scheme i.e. 'Maharashtra Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme' has been decided by the Government for implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The decision was expected to provide more benefits under the then Employment Guarantee Scheme and enable more effective implementation of the Employment Guarantee Scheme, but the Central Government amended the Act in 2009 and renamed the Act as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act-2005. Similarly, instructions were given to the State Government that the scheme to be financed under this Act should be referred to as 'Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme' and henceforth as the name of the State concerned. Therefore, in Maharashtra, as per government decision number “MGRY” or “ROHYO” likely refers to the “Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” the scheme is named as 'Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme - Maharashtra'. Because in the state of Maharashtra, the implementation of the Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Act was started from 1977 and as per the Act, two schemes were started [3]:

• Employment Guarantee Scheme for Unskilled Persons in Rural Areas 

• Individual Benefit Scheme as per Section 7(2) (10) of Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Act, 1977.

It is also important to study the role of this scheme in rural development when examining public participation in rural development programs.

The Topic of Present research paper is ' Employment Oriented Program and Awareness Level of Rural Peoples is related to primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected from 180 samples in Marathwada region’s four districts on the basis of purposive sample selection method from non-probable sampling method and interview schedule tool was used. Secondary data sources are used like reference books, research reports and papers. The topic of research goes through scientific research process from formulation of problem to till last step of research.

Objectives of the StudyThe study is undertaken with following specific objectives in view:

• To study the awareness level of common rural people regarding rural development

• To study the common rural people’s views regarding MG-NREGA

   

HypothesisFollowing hypothesis was put forward for proposed research paper:

• Common rural peoples are not aware regarding rural development as expected

• Common rural peoples are unknown about rules and regulations of the MG-NREGA-2005

Theoretical FrameworkThe present study is related to various theories of social change and development in sociology but it relates appropriately to Rostow’s step theory, because the theme of concern theory of development and this principle matching with the principle of people awareness, public participation and rural development. So, this theoretical base is used to analyse data during present study.

Information on Participation of Common Rural People in Employment Oriented ProgramsIt means that the scheme has been working in Aurangabad district from the very beginning. But did the purpose of this scheme or program really reach the common rural people of Aurangabad district? Or did the villagers understand the outline of the program? The program will be evaluated and proved to be a success based on the number of rural people involved in the program. So, to check the participation of rural people in the program by asking them some simple but important questions like are you aware about MNREGA? Do you know about job card? Knowing the reality of unemployment allowance criteria, social audit and participation in it, etc. the details of all these questions are given in the Table 1.

Table 1: Awareness Level of Common Rural People Regarding Employment-Oriented Programs

When asked about the Rural Development and Employment Eradication Program in rural areas, especially the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), 168 (93.33%) of the total 180 respondents were aware of the scheme while 12 (6.67%) of the respondents were unaware of the scheme. Under this Act, 140 (77.78%) respondents have information about job cards for employment while 40 (22.22%) respondents still do not know the concept of job card Under this Act, employment is guaranteed to the rural people and if the Gram Panchayat or the government is unable to provide employment, there is a provision to provide unemployment allowance to the family member of the job card holder and only 65 (36.11%) respondents are aware of this. Most of the rural people respondents, i. e. 115 (63.89%) respondents are not aware of the criteria for receiving unemployment benefits. None of the 180 respondents had ever received or demanded unemployment benefits. Out of 180 respondents, only 57 (31.67%) knew about social audit and 123 (68.33%) respondents found that rural people still did not know about social audit. In fact, the number of participants in the social audit process has remained very low. Of the total 180 respondents, only 28 (15.56%) said yes and the remaining 152 (88.44%) respondents said rural people had never participated in social audit.

It shows that the rural people do not seem to be fully socialized about the scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the various provisions for employment in that Act. Therefore, for the success of this scheme at all levels, it is expected to be widely socialized about this scheme and the Act.

Awareness Among the Rural People About the Facilities Available to the Workers Under MGNREGA

Under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is functioning in the name of Mahatma Gandhi in rural areas to provide employment to the unemployed in rural areas and to eliminate unemployment. But how much do the working class and the common public in rural areas know about the facilities that workers can get in the workplace? This makes it clear that their participation in such an event is as Table 2.

Table 2: Details of Information Having Rural People About the Facilities Available to Workers Under MGNREGA

Out of 180 respondents, 96 (53.33%) were found to be aware of these various facilities, while 84 (46.67%) respondents said that they were not aware of the various facilities under MGNREGA. Only 93 (51.67%) respondents were aware of the availability of pure drinking water in the workplace while 87 (48.33%) respondents were unaware of the facilities available to them. Only 46 (25.56%) respondents were aware and majority of respondent i. e. 134 (74.44%) unaware of the provision of child-care facilities in the scheme. In case of any injury to the worker in the workplace, first aid facility should be available and only 31 (17.22%) respondents are aware of such provision in the scheme. 149 (82.78%) respondents from rural people are unaware of this. In addition, 45 (25%) respondents responded positively, while 135 (75%) respondents answered negatively.It proves that although there has been public awareness about the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, there has not been a satisfactory level of public awareness about the facilities available to the workers under this scheme.

How many of the facilities provided in the Act are made available to the workers in the workplace? This is also important. Because there is no use of having only the facilities but they also need to be implemented directly for the workers. So, do the facilities available to the workers benefit the actual workers in the workplace? Or are they made available? This study also seems important. Accordingly, their details are obtained as Table 3.

Table 3: Actual Facilities Available under Rural Development Programmme for Worker on Field

Out of the total 180 respondents, 135 (75%) respondents said that under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, workers are not provided with pure drinking water in the workplace. The workers themselves bring drinking water when they come to work. 45 (25%) respondents say that workers are provided with pure drinking water in the workplace. 8 (4.44%) of the respondents said that if the female worker is a working mother, then there is facility of cradle house made available for her baby in the work place. But 172 (95.56%) respondents say that Cradle house are not provided in the work place.

So, the couple has to make such arrangements on an individual level. As well as injuries to workers at workplace 158 (87.78%) respondents say that there has available the first aid box for primary treatment while 22 (13.78%) respondents say there are not actual provided primary treatment at workplace to injured workers. 163 (90.56%) respondents say that the transportation facility is not actual provided to workers from there residence to workplace while only 17 (9.44%) respondents say that the transportation facility is provided to workers from there residence to workplace.

It shows that the level workers exploitation and violation of act.

The participation of the villagers in the actual rural development program as well as the participation in the MG-NREGA scheme has been examined. The study of the contribution and participation of the villagers in the Gram Sabha shows the apathy of the villagers towards the Gram Sabha. According to rural respondents, women's participation in the Gram Sabha is very low. Most of the villagers are not fully aware of the work being done in the village under the Gram Vikas Yojana and the program. This shows the participation of rural people in the rural development program. Most of the work in the village is done by using tractors and JCBs instead of needy labourers. Therefore, the principle of public participation or purpose is separated. Most of the rural people feel that any community interest works like farms, roads, afforestation should be done through rural development programs. Majority of rural people expressed the view that they feel that all the processes from employment to earning wages should be transparent while creating employment in the village. Villagers are of the view that the quality of rural development work completed under the rural development program is often poor. 

The villagers feel that the purpose of public participation is to involve local leadership and common people at different levels of development work. And these rural development works should be continuously going on as per the requirements of local development. In order to increase the participation of rural people in rural development programs, it is necessary to motivate others with special efforts by conscious people, conscious leadership and administrative people. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme-2005 is a scheme that has been effective across the country and is working in rural areas of the country for the elimination of unemployment and rural development. Even today, it is seen that the rural people are not well informed about the scheme and the provision of facilities for the workers in the scheme at satisfactory level. This clearly shows the participation of rural people in rural development programs and it does not seem to have reached a certain level yet.

1. Patil, V. and N. Chunkhade. Gramin Samajshastra. Fadke Prakashan, 1990, p. 155.

2. Maharashtra Government. Rule EGS-2005/Letter No. 104/EGS-10. Office of the Ministry, Mumbai 400032, December 2005.

3. Maharashtra Government. MGRY-2010/No. 12/ROHYO-10. Ministry, Mumbai 400032, July 2011.