1Department of Agricultural Extension and Communication, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, 263153, Uttarakhand, India
Department of Agricultural Extension, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai, 625104, Tamil Nadu, India
*Email for correspondence: esakkimuthu418@yahoo.com
Online published on 3 April, 2017.
The contribution of service sector to the material income generation has gone up to 56 per cent but the contribution of industrial sector has been stagnant during the last few decades. The study was undertaken in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu on the beneficiaries of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Majority (75%) of the respondents reported that with the wage from MGNREGA they were able to meet out their daily expenses only; they were not able to repay debt and it does not increased their income. Majority (75.00%) of the participants were agricultural labourers; they did not possess own agricultural land, could not spend money on farming, cultivate fallow land and purchase agricultural implements. All the respondents reported that their drudgery was increased. There was no reduction in migration and the health status was also affected as the participants were mainly women since men preferred to go for agricultural activities or to towns for the work since they got higher wages than MGNREGA.
Drudgery, farming, income, MGNREGA, wages
