Performance of MGNERG Programme in Keerapalayam Block in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, MGNREGA has been implemented in 31 districts with a total registration of about 1.32 crore labourers. In the state, Cuddalore district's share is 6.32 per cent. In this context, this paper has studied the impact of MGNREGA in the Keerapalayam block of Cuddalore district, which accounts for 6.9 per cent of the total labourers registered in the district. The study has analysed employment generation, asset creation and impact on labour availability for farming activities. It is found that the average employment generated in this block was of 119 person-days per annum, which earned an average wage of 89.23 per day. The beneficiaries were from both scheduled castes (45%) and other castes (55%). The block has also created assets like road connectivity (70 Nos), water conservations (11 Nos), renovation of water bodies (272 Nos) and irrigation channels (299 Nos) under MGNREGA works. The respondents have revealed that a higher percentage of registered labourers (40–60%) was engaged during the period June to February, which coincides with the peak agricultural seasons of Kuruvai (June-September) and late-Samba (September-January) when the agricultural activities of this block are at the maximum. Hence, the study has suggested that the MGNREGA activities may be reorganized during the lean agricultural period of February to May so as to avoid the inter-sectoral competition for the labour force.