Andhra Pradesh has recorded a significant reduction in employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) during the first half of the financial year. The number of households receiving work decreased by 4.8%, from 42.79 lakh to 40.74 lakh, resulting in a ₹435 crore drop in total worker earnings compared to the previous year. Specific declines were noted in person-days, with Scheduled Caste workers experiencing an 18.7% fall and Scheduled Tribe workers a 17% fall, in contrast to an 11.3% reduction for other workers.
This period also coincides with the Union Rural Development Ministry's nationwide mandate for Aadhaar-based e-KYC for all MGNREGS participants. In Andhra Pradesh, only 67.9% of registered workers have completed this process, leaving approximately 38 lakh workers pending, including over 21.6 lakh active workers seeking work. Organizations like LibTech India have cautioned that without adequate field-level support, this digital requirement could prevent eligible individuals from accessing their entitled employment, potentially leading to a loss of work opportunities due to procedural barriers rather than a lack of willingness to work.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/andhra-pradesh-sees-sharp-fall-in-employment-under-mgnregs/article70225548.ece