WAGE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMMES                                      

        The prevalence of unemployment and under employment in the rural areas has been a major contributing factor to poverty. Therefore, the Government of India stressed the need for a sharper focus on programmes aimed at providing self-employment and wage-employment to poorer section of the community.
Prior to onset of the Eight Plan, various schemes of wage employment generation were taken up from time to time. The include for food for work programme, National Rural Employment Programme (NREP), Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP), etc. From April, 1989, the ongoing NREP and RLEGP were merged into a single rural employment programme known as Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) having as its main objective on generation of gainful employment avenues by way of creation of rural infrastructure.
        Subsequently, the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) was also launched in the year 1993 to provide 100 days of assured employment to the rural poor in the lean agricultural season. This scheme was designed as Demand Driven scheme to ensure flow of funds to backward districts. Proper care was taken to avoid overlapping of works taken up under JRY and EAS.
The JRY was restructured and streamlined from January, 1996. The Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) and million Wells Scheme (MWS), earlier sub-scheme of JRY, have been made independent scheme w.e.f 1st January, 1996.
        Financial and physical performance under wage employment schemes are given below in Table.

Table
( In Rs.)