Implementation of MGNREGA in Tribal Districts of Madhya Pradesh: A Beneficiary Perception

The demand-driven Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, enacted in 2005, provides every rural household that demands it with 100 days of unskilled work annually. Currently, there are 15.51 crore active workers registered in the program. The federal government recently established a committee to examine the execution of the MGNREGA scheme and evaluate its effectiveness in reducing poverty. The committee, led by Amarjeet Sinha, a former secretary of rural development, met for the first time in November 2022 and has been given three months to provide recommendations. Most states have yet to pay wages within the 15 days required by MGNREGA. Furthermore, workers receive no compensation if their wages are delayed. As a result, the program is now supply-based, and workers are becoming disinterested in participating. It has significantly contributed to the “freedom of choice” of employment, respectable employment opportunities, and rights and entitlements, particularly for women, landless people, and other marginalized groups whose livelihoods depend on traditional caste-based jobs and agricultural landlords in the villages. The current study examined the implementation of MGNREGA’s execution on the satisfaction levels of tribal beneficiaries, which was carried out in a tribal district in Madhya Pradesh. To do this, 640 male and female beneficiaries were chosen, and a questionnaire was used to gather data. The data was analyzed using statistical methods to obtain the frequency, percentage means, analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation, and chi-square test findings. A few factors contributing to discontent are inadequate daily wages, untimely wages, inadequate facilities provided at the workplace, and improper work hours for women. Therefore, there is room for improvement in both provision and application. Hence, if the State and Gram Panchayat work together, MGNREGS can be more successful in the future.