Abstract
It is now very well recognised that elite capture in development programmes and schemes is likely to occur in societies where socio-economic inequality is more pronounced and where people are unable to raise their voices against the powerful elite. Hence, policymakers usually incorporate checks and balances into a development programme or scheme to prevent elite capture. This is true of MGNREGS and housing programmes as well. In this chapter, we present the checks and balances incorporated in MGNREGS and housing programmes, and examine the extent to which these checks and balances have worked.
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Notes
- 1.
Besley and Coate (1992) show that programmes such as NREGS have an inbuilt targeting mechanisms that would help the poor.
- 2.
As stated in Schedule 1 of the NREGA Act. For instance, see NREGA operational guidelines 2008 on the website http://nrega.nic.in/Nrega_guidelinesEng.pdf.
- 3.
It needs to be noted that the arrangement of payment of wages regularly is specific to Tamil Nadu.
- 4.
The eligibility criteria, which have been changing over a period of time, here pertain to the recent picture.
- 5.
Detailed information on the objectives and implementation guidelines of IAY can seen on http://rdpr.kar.nic.in/Schemes/adp/housing/iay.htm.
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Rajasekhar, D., Babu, M.D., Manjula, R. (2018). MGNREGS and Housing Programmes: Checks and Balances to Prevent Elite or Programme Capture. In: Decentralised Governance, Development Programmes and Elite Capture. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1900-6_4
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