The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Andhra Pradesh has seen record deletions in job cards and number of workers, but still registers a strong employment performance, as per a survey by LibTech India, a research organisation focusing on issues of public service delivery.
The survey revealed that a record number of households had been deleted from India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in the fiscal year 2022-23 in the State.
The study also found that 29.6 lakh job cards and 77.9 lakh workers were removed from the list, while only 2.1 lakh job cards and 5.26 lakh workers were added, marking the highest record of job card deletions in the State since 2014-15.
The MGNREGA programme guarantees 100 days of employment to each registered household that demands work.
The study has noted that the deletions are a national-level issue, but the net deleted job cards and workers at the State level account for 40% and 59.6%, respectively, which is far higher than the national figures of 7.9% and 13.2%.
However, the study also acknowledged that most deletions could be legitimate, with workers migrating, or opting out of MGNREGA. But the study also highlighted anecdotal evidence of wrongful deletions.
Remarkable progress
Andhra Pradesh made remarkable progress in the fiscal year 2022-23 by registering a minor decrease of just 0.9% in the total person days generated, compared to the previous year.
This achievement was especially remarkable considering the significant national drop of 19.1%.
“It’s noteworthy that the State is able to navigate and adapt to the technological changes implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, while maintaining a stable level of person days generated under the MGNREGA,” said B. Chakradhar of LibTech.
Although the number of households employed was lower than in the previous two years, the average person days generated per household in the State was higher than the national average.
Women workforce rising
The share of women in the workforce was rising each year, as they account for 60.5% of the total person days generated in 2022-23.
However, the SC and ST communities recorded a disproportionate drop of 2.2% and 2.1%, respectively, out of the total person days drop.
Meanwhile, the number of disabled persons working and the person days generated dropped by 5.4% and 10.3%, respectively, compared to the fiscal year 2021-22.
Furthermore, the number of households completing 100 days significantly dropped from 8.64 lakh in 2020-21 to 2.59 lakh in 2022-23., pointed out Mr. Chakradhar
APBS mandatory
The Ministry of Rural Development made the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) mandatory, which relies on Aadhaar verification to transfer MGNREGA wages to workers. Workers must complete mandatory requirements to be eligible under APBS.
The study found that 89.6 lakh out of 93.9 lakh active workers in Andhra Pradesh completed all the requirements for APBS, and only 4.6% of active workers were currently ineligible.
The ineligible workers account for 6.7% of the total current registered workers. But when compared nationally, the percentage of ineligible workers in the State was much lower.
The report urges both the State and Central governments to recognise that MGNREGA serves as a crucial lifeline for millions of rural households, especially during periods of low rainfall, that can impact the agro-economy and add to the burden of impoverished families. As such, it is imperative to address the challenges faced by the workers and fully realise the potential of the MGNREGA to safeguard the rights of the workers.
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