Impact of MGNREGA on Wage Employment and Income Generation: A Case Study of Darbhanga District in Bihar

The study has examined the impact of MGNREGA on generation of employment, development of assets and provision of income to the rural people of Bihar in general and the district Darbhanga in particular. The study is based on the secondary data collected from various published sources for the years 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2010–11. The study has reported that both in Bihar as well as Darbhanga district all the households who demanded employment were provided employment under MGNREGA. The percentage of participation of scheduled castes has been substantial, 45–50 per cent in terms of person-days. The percentage of women participation in Bihar was around 30 per cent in 2008–09 and 2009–10 but has increased to 44 per cent in 2010–11. The percentage of expenditure on wages under MGNREGA works has been quite substantial during the years under study, 63 to 67 per cent in Bihar and 60 to 69 per cent in the Darbhanga district. The study has revealed that MGNREGA has provided ample opportunities of employment to the women and weaker sections of the society, has increased their income levels and has reduced poverty level in Darbhanga district as well as in Bihar state.