Economic Impacts of MGNREGA in Dryland Region of India: A Meso and Micro Study in Selected States

Nagaraj, N and Srikantha Murthy, P S and Chandrakanth, M G and Bhattarai, M and Roy, N S (2018) Economic Impacts of MGNREGA in Dryland Region of India: A Meso and Micro Study in Selected States. In: Employment Guarantee Programme and Dynamics of Rural Transformation in India: Challenges and Opportunities. India Studies in Business and Economics (ISBE) . Springer, Singapore, pp. 265-287. ISBN 978-981-10-6262-9

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Abstract

This chapter assesses impacts of MGNREGA in selected six states and selected sample households in four districts of Karnataka, covering both macro level and micro scale analysis. We analyze data on whether MGNREGA programme has been successful in providing 100 days of employment per annum to rural poor households, and to what extent the MGNREGA has offered social protection to the rural poor. Likewise, whether increase in agricultural labour wage rate in recent years is due to introduction of MGNREGS. The results indicate that at the macro level, the performance of MGNREGA is not even across the six dryland states selected here, even after a decade of its implementation. Only 7–12% of the households could receive 100 days of employment from MGNREGA in the six states studied. In Karnataka, over 60% of households were provided employment for less than 60 days. It was observed that the benefits obtained are largely at the community level through asset creation that includes desiltation of irrigation tanks, rural connectivity and construction of school buildings. Though MGNREGA works were able to assure sustainable development through improved Natural Resource Management in some regions, it failed in providing social protection where the leadership of implementing agencies was weak and lack of dynamism. Stringent rules and regulations resulted in inordinate delays in executing works and making timely payment of wages to workers. Addressing these issues in the implementation of MGNREGS would enhance its multi-dimensional impacts on rural poor across the India, and ensuring for sustainable development in rural India.

Item Type:	Book Section
Divisions:	Research Program : Innovation Systems for the Drylands (ISD)
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Series Name:	India Studies in Business and Economics (ISBE)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	MGNREGA, Semi-Arid tropics agriculture, Non-farm employment, Social protection, Agricultural labour wages, Asset creation, Villages, Livelihoods, Karnataka, Rural labor markets, Rural livelihoods, India, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Employment Guarantees Program, Drylands, National rural employment guarantee scheme
Subjects:	Others > Livelihoods Others > MGNREGA Others > Karnataka Others > Drylands Agriculture Others > Rural Development Others > Rural Economy Others > Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics Others > Indian Agriculture Others > India Others > Agricultural Economics
Depositing User:	Mr Ramesh K
Date Deposited:	04 Jul 2018 05:34
Last Modified:	03 Sep 2018 08:19
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/10785
Acknowledgement:	We wish to thank immensely the Ministry of Rural Development, GOI, New Delhi for having funded this research project, through the University of Agricultural Science, Bangalore, and Dr. Rita Sharma, Secretary Rural Development, Ms. Amita Sharma, Joint Secretary, NREGA, MoRD, Ms. Neelakshi Mann and other staff of MoRD for their guidance and support. Our special thanks to Dr. P. C. Jaffer, IAS, Director MGNREGS, Government of Karnataka, Bengaluru, for his support and encouragement. We would like to thank our respondents and key resource persons for sparing their valuable time during our interactive meetings and survey work across the districts/talukas in Karnataka state.
Links:	Google Scholar

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