National Food For Work Programme

{{Short description|Work programme launched by Indian government, 2004}}

{{More citations needed|date=May 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

The National Food for Work Programme (NFWP), 2004 was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development, central government on 14 November 2004 in 150 of the most backward districts of India to generate supplementary wage employment. The programme is open to all Indian poor who are ready to do manual unskilled labour work

sponsored scheme. Food grains are provided to the States free of cost. The transportation cost, handling charges, and taxes on food grains will, however, be the responsibility of the States. It has always been better to supply food grains free of cost instead of distributing money among them. The eligibility criteria were relaxed to provide for both Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families.{{Cite web |date=5 September 2001 |title=Foodgrains released to states under "Food for Work" programme |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/releases98/lyr2001/rsep2001/05092001/r050920018.html |access-date=2020-11-25 |website=archive.pib.gov.in}} This is one of a number of schemes built on the food for work concept.{{Cite web |date=15 June 2001 |title=Out of focus |url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/out-of-focus-16379 |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=Down to Earth}}{{Cite journal |last=Basu |first=Kaushik |date=2015-06-05 |title=Food for Work-Some Economic and Political Consequences |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/1982/13/review-agriculture-review-issues-speciork-some-economic-and-political |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |language=en |volume=17 |issue=13 |pages=7–8}}{{Cite web |last=Rao |first=K. Sreedhar |date=3 September 2002 |title=Food-for-Work scheme to be fine-tuned |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/food-for-work-scheme-to-be-fine-tuned/articleshow/21007324.cms |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=The Times of India}}

The collector is the primary or nodal officer at the district level and has overall responsibility for planning, implementation, coordination, good monitoring and supervision. From 2004-2005, {{INRConvert|2020|c}} have been allocated for the programme in addition to 18 million tonnes of food grains.

Meal is provided at work places and also the wages are paid on daily bases.

The programme has since been subsumed in National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) of 2005 which has come in force in 200 identified districts of the country including 150 NFFWP districts. MGNREGA is now the chief right based employment guarantee scheme.{{Cite web|title=Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act|url=https://nrega.nic.in/netnrega/home.aspx|access-date=2020-11-25|website=nrega.nic.in}}