1. The adult members of every household who- (i) reside in any rural areas; and (ii) are willing
to do unskilled manual work, may submit their names, age and the address of the household
to the Gram Panchayat at the village level (hereafter in this Schedule referred to as the Gram
Panchayat) in the jurisdiction of which they reside for registration of their household for
issuance of a job card.
2. It shall be the duty of the Gram Panchayat to register the household, after making such
enquiry as it deems fit and issue a job card containing such details of adult members of the
household affixing their photographs, as may be specified by the State Government in the
Scheme.
3. The registration made under paragraph 2 shall be for such period as may be laid in the
Scheme, but in any case not less than five years, and may be renewed from time to time.
4. Every adult member of a registered household whose name appears in the job card shall be
entitled to apply for unskilled manual work under the Scheme.
5. All registered persons belonging to a household shall be entitled to employment in
accordance with the Scheme made under the provisions of this Act, for as many days as each
applicant may request, subject to a maximum of one hundred days per household in a given
financial year.
6. The Programme Officer shall ensure that every applicant referred to in paragraph 5 shall be
provided unskilled manual work in accordance with the provisions of the Scheme within
fifteen days of receipt of an application or from the date he seeks work in case of advance
application, whichever is later: Provided that priority shall be given to women in such a way
that at least one-third of the beneficiaries shall be women who have registered and
requested for work under this Act.
7. Applications for work must be for at least fourteen days of continuous work.
8. There shall be no limit on the number of days of employment for which a person may apply,
or on the number of days of employment actually provided to him subject to the aggregate
entitlement of the household
9. Applications for work may be submitted in writing either to the Gram Panchayat or to the
Programme Officer, as may be specified in the Scheme.
10. The Gram Panchayat and Programme Officer, as the case may be, shall be bound to accept
valid applications and to issue a dated receipt to the applicant. Group applications may also
be submitted.
11. Applicants who are provided with work shall be so intimated in writing, by means of a letter
sent to him at the address given in the job card and by a public notice displayed at the office
of the Panchayats at the district, intermediate or village level.
12. As far as possible, employment shall be provided within a radius of five kilometres of the
village where the applicant resides at the time of applying.
13. A new work under the Scheme shall be commenced only if- (a) at least fifty labourers
become available for such work; and (b) the labourers cannot be absorbed in the ongoing
works: Provided that this condition shall not be applicable for new works, as determined by
the State Government, in hilly areas and in respect of aforestation.
14. In cases the employment is provided outside such radius, it must be provided within the
Block, and the labourers shall be paid ten per cent. of the wage rate as extra wages to meet
additional transportation and living expenses.
15. A period of employment shall ordinarily be at least fourteen days continuously with not
more than six days in a week.
16. In all cases where unemployment allowance is paid, or due to be paid, the Programme
Officer shall inform the District Programme Coordinator in writing the reasons why it was
not possible for him to provide employment or cause to provide employment to the
applicants.
17. The District Programme Coordinator shall, in his Annual Report to the State Council, explain
as to why employment could not be provided in cases where payment of unemployment
allowance is involved.
18. Provision shall be made in the Scheme for advance applications, that is, applications which
may be submitted in advance of the date from which employment is sought.
19. Provision shall be made in the Scheme for submission of multiple applications by the same
person provided that the corresponding periods for which employment is sought do not
overlap.
20. The Gram Panchayat shall prepare and maintain or cause to be prepared and maintained
such registers, vouchers and other documents in such form and in such manner as may be
specified in the Scheme containing particulars of job cards and passbooks issued, name, age
and address of the head of the household and the adult members of the household
registered with the Gram Panchayat.
21. The Gram Panchayat shall send such list or lists of the names and addresses of households
and their adult members registered with it and supply such other information to the
concerned Programme Officer at such periods and in such form as may be specified in the
Scheme.
22. A list of persons who are provided with the work shall be displayed on the notice board of
the Gram Panchayat and at the office of the Programme Officer and at such other places as
the Programme Officer may deem necessary and the list shall be open for inspection by the
State Government and any person interested.
23. If the Gram Panchayat is satisfied at any time that a person has registered with it by
furnishing false information, it may direct the Programme Officer to direct his name to be
struck off from the register and direct the applicant to return the job card: Provided that no
such action under this paragraph shall be directed unless the applicant has been given an
opportunity of being heard in the presence of two independent persons.
24. If any personal injury is caused to any person employed under the Scheme by accident
arising out of and in the course of his employment, he shall be entitled to, free of charge,
such medical treatment as is admissible under the Scheme.
25. Where hospitalisation of the injured worker is necessary, the State Government shall
arrange for such hospitalisation including accommodation, treatment, medicines and
payment of daily allowance not less than half of the wage rate required to be paid had the
injured been engaged in the work.
26. If a person employed under a Scheme dies or becomes permanently disabled by accident
arising out of and in the course of employment, he shall be paid by the implementing agency
an ex gratia payment at the rate of twenty-five thousand rupees or such amount as may be
notified by the Central Government, and the amount shall be paid to the legal heirs of the
deceased or the disabled, as the case may be.
27. The facilities of safe drinking water, shade for children and periods of rest, first-aid box with
adequate material for emergency treatment for minor injuries and other health hazards
connected with the work being performed shall be provided at the work site
28. In case the number of children below the age of six years accompanying the women working
at any site are five or more, provisions shall be made to depute one of such women worker
to look after such children.
29. The person deputed under paragraph 28 shall be paid wage rate.
30. In case the payment of wages is not made within the period specified under the Scheme, the
labourers shall be entitled to receive payment of compensation as per the provisions of the
Payment of Wages Act, 1936 (4 of 1936).
31. The wages under a Scheme may be paid either wholly in cash or in cash and kind provided
that at least one-fourth of the wages shall be paid in cash only.
32. The State Government may prescribe that a portion of the wages in cash may be paid to the
labourers on a daily basis during the period of employment.
33. If any personal injury is caused by accident to a child accompanying any person who is
employed under a Scheme, such person shall be entitled to, free of charge, such medical
treatment for the child as may be specified in the Scheme and in case of death or
disablement, through an ex gratia payment as may be determined by the State Government.
34. In case of every employment under the Scheme, there shall be no discrimination solely on
the ground of gender and the provisions of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 (25 of 1976),
shall be complied with.