Impact of MNREGA on Rural Households: Selected GPs in (North) Karnataka

The Government of India introduced Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 2005. The MGNREGA provided days of employment to 67.83 crores person during 2006–07 to 2014–15 in Karnataka. The study selected three districts in north Karnataka region, and in each district three GPs; and in each GP 30 MGNREGA beneficiary households selected. Thus the total households are 90. The main findings of the study are: Firstly, nearly one third of the households earned income spent on the purchase of farm equipment, followed by health, household goods, debt repayment, education, saving and repair of the house. Secondly, nearly half of the households’ family members migrated during study and the migration is very high in Handigund, out of 30 households, 29 households migrated. Thirdly; the migrated households are landless labour, marginal farmers and small farmers. Finally, 100 days is insufficient for the entire family and this is reported by 88 per cent of the migrated households. Our study suggests that the Government has to provide more than 100 work days per family/households if drought/famine/need is required.