To enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed demand based wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
Beneficiaries are willing rural population, unskilled manual labourers and seasonally unemployed.
A 60:40 wage and material ratio has to be maintained.
No contractors and machinery is allowed.
Wages are linked to Consumer Price Index (Agriculture labour).
The central government bears the 100 percent wage cost of unskilled manual labour and 75 percent of the material cost including the wages of skilled and semi-skilled workers.
If work is not provided within 15 days of applying, applicants are entitled to an unemployment allowance.
MGNREGA is to be implemented mainly by gram panchayats.
At least one-third beneficiaries shall be women.
Social audit has to be done by the gram sabha atleast once in every 6 months.
Focuses on creation of durable assets as per local needs