Current Implementation and Impacts of MGNREGS in Rural Odisha: Does this Solve the Problems of Unemployment and Migration?

The current paper reveals that the implementation of MGNREGS in many ways affected the livelihoods of the people. It has helped to provide wage employment and creation of durable assets in the rural areas of Odisha. This programme has become a main source of livelihoods for the millions of rural and tribal people. The role of PRIs as implementing institutions observed in many cases. Though MGNREGS has created ample opportunity for the poor people in the form of providing them wage employment, but failure of institutional mechanism in the process of implementation has affected the overall process of implementation.

After one decade of implementation of MGNREGS, still many initiatives have to be taken up for the effective implementation of this programme. The issue of institutional capacity should also be given importance in order to make it pro-people. This paper revealed that insufficiency in quantum of job, lower wage rate and delay in wage payment are major reasons for migration in search of livelihoods in the study area. Proper implementation of MGNREGS on productive rural assets would certainly help the rural people for a better livelihood.