## MGNREGS Coverage & Workdays – 2023-24 Summary
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) witnessed a significant decline in both coverage and workdays provided in financial year 2023-24. Demand for work decreased substantially, leading to fewer households availing the scheme and a reduction in total workdays generated.
**Key Findings:**
* **Reduced Households:** Only 5.48 crore households accessed MGNREGS in 2023-24, a sharp drop from 5.86 crore in 2022-23. This represents a decrease of over 6.4%.
* **Workday Decline:** Total workdays generated fell to 2.51 crore, down from 2.83 crore the previous year – a decrease of approximately 11.2%.
* **Active Workers:** The number of active workers also decreased, from 3.22 crore to 2.83 crore.
* **Average Workdays per Household:** The average number of workdays provided per household declined to 45.84 days, falling short of the guaranteed 100 days of employment. This is lower than the 48.48 days provided in 2022-23.
* **State Variations:** States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, which traditionally account for a large share of MGNREGS employment, experienced significant declines in both household participation and workdays. Uttar Pradesh saw the largest drop in workdays.
* **Demand & Supply:** The decline is attributed to a combination of factors, including reduced demand for work (possibly due to improved agricultural income in some areas) and delayed release of funds by the central government.
* **Fund Utilization:** While states were allocated funds, delays in their release hindered the effective implementation of the scheme.
* **Wage Rates:** MGNREGS wage rates remained unchanged in most states, despite rising inflation, potentially impacting the scheme’s attractiveness.
* **LibTech India Report:** The analysis is based on data from LibTech India, a research organization tracking MGNREGS implementation. They highlight the concerning trend of declining access to a crucial rural employment program.
The report suggests a weakening of the rural safety net provided by MGNREGS, raising concerns about the economic well-being of vulnerable rural populations.
