Employment Generation, Labour Migration and MGNREGP Intervention: Evidences from a Village Level Study^§

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP) was launched by the Government of India to serve many objectives including empowerment of women and marginalized communities of the society and reducing the ever-increasing flow of rural labour to urban centres. This paper has looked into the extent of participation of male and female workers, marginalized sections of the society and workers of different age groups in MGNREGP, by conducting a study in Markabbinahalli village of Bijapur district in Karnataka, characterized with distinct migration pattern, during the agricultural year 2012–13. Both primary and secondary data were used in the study. Analytical tools used were z-test, t-test, Fisher's Exact Probability Test and one way ANOVA. The study has found no bias of cast, gender and age in providing employment to the participants of programme. The female workers received gainful employment in the programme. The higher non-farm wage rates constrained MGNREGP in reducing migration of workers to urban centres in the study village. The programme empowered the women workers, at least on a modest scale.