Rural safety net

Dependence on MGNREGS must be reduced

In about 18 years since the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) was implemented, various studies have shown its net positive impact on rural livelihood. The scheme proved particularly useful during the pandemic and provided critical support to the most vulnerable sections of society. The scheme is again being debated after a recent analysis of its performance by LibTech showed that employment under the scheme dropped by over 16 per cent between the first half of 2023-24 and the same period in 2024-25. Further, the number of workers participating in the scheme was 8 per cent fewer over last year, while the net deletions of names from the list of registered workers stood at 3.9 million during this period. The report also highlighted issues with the implementation of the Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS), with 27.4 per cent of all workers unable to receive wages through the system.