Performance and impact analysis of the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Jammu and Kashmir

This study assesses the impact of the MGNREGA scheme on the overall quality of the life of people by considering several parameters of the scheme. The study was carried out in Rajpora and Newa, two community development blocks of Pulwama district. To obtain logical results from the data, we employed regression analysis, paired t-test and propensity score matching. The results reveal the low participation of weaker sections in the sampled districts. The percentage share of SCs, STs and women stands at, respectively, 0.02%, 4.34% and 29.56%. The study reveals that block-wise financial and physical performance under the MGNREGA depicts an improvement in the expenditure percentage with the increase in wage rates. Due to better irrigation availability, 81% of respondents in block Rajpora and 70% in block Newa recorded that MGNREGA has had a positive impact on the increase in agriculture production and productivity. To generate productive assets in the economy and shift it towards full employment, the scheme needs strong planning and orientation.