Examining the Role of ICT on Financial Inclusion in World's Biggest Public Employment Programme in Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

This study examines how deployment of ICT in public employment programme is improving egovernance making and helping the workforce to access banking services for receiving their wages. The study draws on field work done among 118 MGNREGA beneficiaries in Chamoli district, located up in the Himalayan State of Uttarakhand. The beneficiaries of the 100 days employment guarantee scheme are finding work only for 36 days. The compulsory routing of wage payments through bank and post offices have enabled inclusion in the banking process, however, these accounts are not being used beyond savings and withdrawals. The study recommends maintaining guaranteed employment to a minimum of 100 days, reducing delays in wage payment to a maximum of two weeks compared to one year at present and introduce multiple layers of checking details of beneficiaries against available personal identification documents to reduce the phenomenon of ghost clients.