BackTracing MGNREGA’s decline
The fall is more perceptible in states ruled by the Congress-led UPA than the ones ruled by BJP-led NDA
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The government’s flagship rural employment guarantee scheme is on the decline. On almost every key metric, the scheme drafted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)—which promises 100 days of employment a year to every rural household that demands it and mandates payments of wages within 15 days—is showing sharply lower numbers in 2014-15.
The fall is more perceptible in states ruled by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) than the ones ruled by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The big picture
Be it the amount of work done or the speed of payment, the numbers are down compared with the last two years.
The declining demand
Demand for work has consistently dropped under the Narendra Modi government, which some opposition leaders attribute to intentional Total expenses (in ₹ crore) delays in payments to states by the centre.
The declining supply
Compared with earlier years, a smaller percentage worked for more than 60 days a year and a higher percentage for up to 40 days.
The states and political parties
The drop in work, in general, has been sharper for the states led by the UPA constituents. They are also facing longer delays in payments.
Howindialives.com is a Delhi-based start-up that is developing a search engine for public data to make it more accessible to decision-makers.
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