Analysing the socio-personal and economic profile of MGNREGA beneficiaries in Cooch Behar district, West Bengal

MGNREGA ranks among the most powerful initiatives ever undertaken for transformation of rural livelihoods in India. The present study was undertaken to analyse the socio-personal and economic profile of MGNREGA beneficiaries in Kokoabari and Dakkhin Kalarayer Kuthi villages of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal. Purposive as well as simple random sampling procedures were followed in the present study. The results showed that the majority of the respondents were under the age group of 36 to 50 years (58%); majority (92%) belonged to scheduled caste category; most of them had studied up to primary level (36%); the primary occupation of 40 per cent of the respondents was farming; under secondary occupation majority of the respondents (80%) were MGNREGA beneficiaries only; the annual income of 54 per cent respondents was below Rs 25000; 64 per cent respondents were members of an organization whereas 18 per cent were office bearers of an organization; majority of the respondents (76%) participated occasionally and 20 per cent regularly in different social programmes. After the implementation of MGNREGA in the villages 51 per cent of the rural women were involved in different works under MGNREGA. This shows high degree of female participation and more income generation in the villages after the implementation of MGNREGA.