The Role of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Programme on Rural Development: An Empirical Study
with Special Reference to Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh
Srinivasa Rao Dokku
1,
*
, P. Adi Lakshmi
1
, Rajesh C. Jampala
2
and V. N. Malleswara Rao
3
1
PVP Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Kanuru, India
2
PB Siddhartha College of Arts & Science, Vijayawada, India
3
Dhanekula Institute of Engineering and Technology, India
Keywords: MGNREGS, Wage, Work, Rural Development, Income Generation.
Abstract: The goal of this study was to analyse the effect of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Programme (MGNREGP) system on rural development in India with respect to Krishna district of Andhra
Pradesh. Data was obtained from 2000 recipients of MGNREGP in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh. The
data analysis is multidimensional in nature and has helped to make constructive suggestions. The report seeks
to create a connection between the implementation of government schemes such as MGNREGP on rural
development and to provide the basis for conceptual clarification on the implementation of major social
projects.
1 INTRODUCTION
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP) is being
introduced as a poverty alleviation programme in
India aimed at providing livelihoods for poor people
in rural areas. It has been believed that it would
reduce deprivation and raise the quality of life of
people living in rural areas of the country. One of the
key goals of the MGNREGA is to reduce migration
from rural India. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was
enacted on 25 August, 2005 and is India's largest
public initiative launched by the government. This
began in 2005-2006 with 200 districts, and gradually
expanded to another 130 districts in 2007-2008, and
the remaining 285 rural districts included in 2008-
2009. Under this Act, every adult member of the rural
household is entitled to at least 100 days of
guaranteed wage employment in the financial year if
he or she volunteers to do unskilled manual work. At
present, the system has expanded steadily in a short
period of time, reaching more than 50 million
households (since its introduction in 2006) in 696
districts across the country.
*
Corresponding author
2 IMPLEMENTATION OF
MGNREGS PROGRAMME IN
ANDHRA PRADESH
The MGNREGS Act aims to improve the protection
of livelihood of people in rural areas by ensuring
hundred days of wage-employment in a financial year
to a rural household whose adult members volunteer
to do unskilled manual labour. Andhra Pradesh is at
the top level in the country when it comes to enforcing
the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The State
contributes 14 per cent of the country 's achievement
in terms of individual days generation.
2.1 Performance of MGNREGS in
Andhra Pradesh
Table displays the Andhra Pradesh production of
MGNREGA from the time period between 2016–
2017 to 2020–21. In all the 13 districts of Andhra
Pradesh, the programme was implemented and
covered 12,914 villages. The produced individual
days decreased from 2055.09 lakhs in 2016-2017 to
1891.38 lakhs in 2020-2021. During the 2020-2021
Dokku, S., Lakshmi, P., Jampala, R. and Rao, V.
The Role of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme on Rural Development: An Empirical Study with Special Reference to Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh.
DOI: 10.5220/0012502900003792
Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
In Proceedings of the 1st Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR 2023), pages 749-756
ISBN: 978-989-758-687-3
Proceedings Copyright © 2024 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda.
749

period, 56.52 per cent of the programme beneficiaries
were women. Also, 19.46 per cent of participants are
ST members and 7.28 per cent are Scheduled Tribes
members. Land development, road connectivity,
flood control and protection , water conservation and
water harvesting, drought proofing, dewatering of
ponds, minor irrigation works and the provision of
irrigation facilities to Scheduled Caste/Tribe families
and other beneficiaries of land reform were among
the types of work undertaken. The number of
beneficiaries in the programme in the district are
93.11 lakh individuals.
3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
The MGNREGS Act established a statutory
minimum pay for MGNREGS employees. In cases
when there is available job within a 5-kilometer
radius, the Act also provided for additional wages. To
observe the reality of the aforementioned provision,
the study is helpful. Among the tasks carried out
under the MGNREGS programme are land
development, road connection, flood control and
protection, water conservation, drought protection,
pond distillation, minor irrigation, and irrigation
facilities for SC and ST families and other land
reform beneficiaries. A thorough investigation at the
local level is required to determine how well the
aforementioned programmes are being implemented,
which is why the current study is significant in and of
itself.
It was crucial for the study to concentrate on
comprehending and identifying issues like the prompt
issuance of job cards, the possibility of wage
discrimination between male and female labourers,
and whether or not the authorities are providing the
bare minimum of amenities at the workplace, such as
drinking water, child care facilities, worker shade,
and floor shelters.
3.1 Objectives
The major objectives of the present study are given
below:
1. To critically examine the operational issues
in implementation of MGNREGS in Krishna
District, Andhra Pradesh
2. To study the impact of MGNREGS on
Socio-Economic development of
beneficiaries with reference to the
geographic area under the study
3. To study the specific problems of beneficiaries
with regards to getting Job Card, allotment of work,
wage payment, etc.
3.2 Research Methodology
The broad methodology followed encompasses both
qualitative and quantitative variables to allow an in-
depth understanding of the study on the role of the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Programme on Rural Development –
Empirical Study with Special Reference to the
Krishna District, A.P.
3.2.1 Coverage
To enable a thorough understanding of the study on
the impact of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Project on rural development
- Empirical Study with Particular Reference to the
Krishna District, A.P. - broad approach was used.
3.2.2 Data Collection
The MGNREGP website's study reports, records,
annual action plans, bulletins, and documents created
by Krishna District's District Rural Development
Agency (DRDA) are the primary sources of
secondary data. In addition to the books, journals, and
seminar papers that are also regarded as the major
sources, the secondary data was gathered from the
administrative guidelines of the Ministry of Rural
Development, Government of India websites.
3.3 Limitation of the Study
The study limits to observe the issues related with
Impact of Mahathma Gandi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP) on
Wage earners in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. As
the study confines to only Krishna District, Andhra
Pradesh, the findings cannot be generalised at macro
level considering the vast diversity of the nature of
our country in terms of socio, economic factors.
4 DATA ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION
4.1 Sample Distribution of the Study
The Table shows the distribution of samples for the
analysis. The research was carried out in ten selected
mandals of Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. Five
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villages were selected in each district, and 40
respondents were selected from each village. Total
2000 samples are considered for analysis and 74.8 per
cent of participants are men out of the 2000 samples.
Table 1: Sample distribution.
Men Women Total
1495 505 2000
74.8 % 25.2 % 100.0 %
4.2 Beneficiaries’ Awareness About
MGNREGS in Krishna District
Table and section show the beneficiaries awareness
about the programme in Krishna District of Andhra
Pradesh, India.
4.2.1 Awareness about MGNREGS in
Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh
It is noted that approximately eighty per cent of
respondents are completely aware of the MGNREGS
programme. The relation between the participant's
level of group and consciousness is also important. It
is noted that the respondents belonging to the SC, and
ST category have a greater knowledge than the others.
There is also important correlation between age and
awareness on the MGNREGS.
4.2.2 Awareness of the Right to Apply for
Work and Fifteen Days Approval
Period
It is found that within fifteen days, sixty-one per cent
of respondents have complete knowledge of the right
to work and obtain job allocation order. It is found
that the beneficiaries of BC and ST are more aware of
the right to apply and assign jobs compared to the
other groups. The correlation between age and
knowledge about the right to apply and the allocation
of work is significant.
4.2.3 Knowledge About the Process of
Applying for MGNREGS
About sixty per cent of respondents are found to have
full knowledge of the application process for
MGNREGS. It was also observed that men have a
greater understanding of the process of applying for
MGNREGS than women and the relation between
gender and knowledge. It was observed that the
beneficiaries of BC and ST are more knowledgeable
of the method of applying for MGNREGS than
compared those of the other groups.
4.2.4 Awareness of Minimum Wage
Under MGNREGS, there was no association between
gender and knowledge about minimum wage. It was
observed that the beneficiaries of SC have lower
knowledge of minimum wage and the beneficiaries of
ST who had greater knowledge of minimum wage
under MGNREGS comparatively than those of other
groups. The community's association with knowledge
about minimum wage under MGNREGS is
important. Significant association between education
qualification and knowledge of minimum wage under
MGNREGS was observed.
4.2.5 Awareness on the Calculation of Wages
in MGNREGS
The SC and ST beneficiaries are more aware of the
estimation of wages in MGNREGS compared to other
communities where the interaction between the
Community and understanding of MGNREGS wage
measurement was significant.
4.3 Implementation of MGNREGS
The table and section show the respondents
awareness about Implementation of MGNREGS in
the selected district of Andhra Pradesh.
4.3.1 Awareness of Beneficiaries on Job
Cards
It was also noted that there was an association
between gender and awareness on the MGNREGS
job card. Men were more aware of MGNREGS job
cards compared to women. It was also noted that there
is no significant association between the community
and awareness on the MGNRES Job Card.
4.3.2 Number of Members Having Job
Cards in a Family
Nineteen per cent of the respondents have only one
MGNREGS beneficiary from their family and more
than two third of the respondents mentioned that two
members of their family are the beneficiaries of the
MGNREGS. It was observed that from ST and SC
community, more number of family members are
working compared to the other communities working
under MGNREGS.
The Role of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme on Rural Development: An Empirical Study with Special
Reference to Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh
751

4.3.3 Number of Working Days in a Year
Under MGNREGS
Approximately thirty-eight per cent of respondents
indicated that they worked less than fifty days, about
one-third worked between 76 and 100 days, and about
twenty-three per cent of respondents worked between
51 and 75 days under MGNREGS. It was also noted
that there was an association between gender and the
number of days worked under MGNREGS.
Approximately forty per cent of men worked less than
50 days, while forty-five per cent of women worked
more than 75 days. It was also noted that the minority
and SC beneficiaries worked fewer days than other
communities, and there was a significant association
between workdays and the community.
4.3.4 Wages Under MGNREGS
Approximately thirty-eight per cent of respondents
indicated that they are receiving wages in the range of
Rs. 150-200. There was no significant difference in
wages between men and women. There was a
significant association between community and wage
emoluments. The BC and ST participants reported
receiving an average wage of between Rs. 150 – 200
per day.
4.3.5 Annual Income Received Under
MGNREGS
Thirty-seven per cent of respondents received income
between five and ten thousand in one year, about
twenty-seven per cent of beneficiaries received ten to
fifteen thousand in one year, and about thirty-one per
cent of respondents received more than fifteen
thousand in one year under MGNREGS.
It was also noted that the beneficiaries of OC and ST
received more annual income from MGNREGS than
other communities, and the association between the
recipient's annual income and the community was
significant
4.3.6 Awareness of Right for Unemployment
Allowances
Women were more aware than men of the right to
unemployment allowance. It was found that members
of Backward Caste (BC), SC, and ST have more
knowledge of the right to unemployment benefits
than those of other classes. The relationship between
the population and the right information for
unemployment compensation proved important in
contrast.
4.3.7 Awareness of Maintenance of
Attendance Registers at the Place of
Work
It was observed that the Other Castes (OC)
beneficiaries have lower awareness on maintenance
of attendance registers under MGNREGS than that of
the other communities comparatively. The
association between the community and awareness on
maintenance of attendance registers under
MGNREGS
proved to be very significant.
From the analysis of the data it was identified that,
majority of the respondents have complete awareness
about the MGNREGS programme. It was also
observed that men have more awareness than that of
the women. The SC, ST community of the
MGNREGS programme has greater awareness than
that of the others. A significant association was also
observed between the educational qualifications and
awareness level on MGNREGS.
4.4 Operational Issues of MGNREGS
in Implementation
The table shows the operational issues of MGNREGS
Programme in the selected district of Andhra Pradesh,
India.
4.4.1 Opinion on the Benefit Scheme
It was noted that more than ninety-five per cent of the
respondents expressed their satisfaction with the
benefit of MGNREGS and only 2.6 per cent of the
beneficiaries argued that there was no benefit under
MGNREGS. It was noted that there was no
significant association between gender and benefit
opinion in the context of MGNREGS. It was also
noted that more SC beneficiaries felt to have
benefitted from MGNREGS compared to other
communities, and that there was a significant
association between the benefit opinion and the
community.
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Table 2: Beneficiaries’ Awareness about the MGNREGS in Krishna District.
Table 3: Awareness about Implementation of MGNREGS.
4.4.2
Problems Faced by Rural
Beneficiaries
It was noted that more than fifty-five per cent of
beneficiaries reported poor drainage facilities. Bad
road conditions, a bank loan, and water supply are
the other major problems faced by the beneficiaries.
There was a significant link between the gender and
the household problems of the beneficiaries, where
women felt more need for drainage facilities and
men felt more need for better roads and availability
of bank loans. In general, recipients of OC, BC, and
SC felt a greater need for drainage and, ST
recipients felt the need for better roads and bank
lending facilities, and a significant association
between community and house holding problems.
4.4.3 Supervision of Officials
Table-4.42 presents the results on the level of
satisfaction with the effective supervision of various
demographic variables and the need for frequent
personal visits by the authorities concerned.
Approximately ninety-four per cent of the respondents
indicated that there is no need to visit the5uthorityes
frequently.
4.4.4 Minimum Wages
Approximately ten per cent of the beneficiaries
mentioned that they were underpaid as a minimum
wage and eighty-eight per cent of the respondents felt
that they were paid a minimum wage. From the analysis
of the data, it can be identified that MGNREGS
The Role of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme on Rural Development: An Empirical Study with Special
Reference to Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh
753

workers were receiving more than the national
average wage in the chosen district of Andhra
Pradesh.
4.4.5 Loss of Daily Wages
Approximately 15 per cent of beneficiaries felt that
they had lost their daily wage due to MGNREGS
involvement and about 80 per cent of respondents
felt that there was no job loss due to MGNREGS.
There was a significant association between the
community and the opinion on the loss of wages due
to MGNREGS where the OC and BC beneficiaries
felt that they were losing their daily wages more
than the other communities.
4.4.6 Work – Wage Parity
Approximately 15 per cent of beneficiaries felt that
they had lost their daily wage due to MGNREGS
involvement and about 80 per cent of respondents felt
that there was no job loss due to MGNREGS. There
was a significant association between the community
and the opinion on the loss of wages due to MGNREGS
where the OC and BC beneficiaries felt that they were
losing their daily wages more than the other
communities.
4.4.7 Problems in Post Offices /Banks During
Financial Transactions
Approximately two thirds of the participants felt that
they were facing problems while making financial
transactions at the bank/post office. Significant
association between the community and problems
during the financial transaction at the bank/post office
was observed. Whereas the beneficiaries of BC and SC
felt more difficulty in carrying out their financial
transactions than that of other communities.
Table 4: Operational Issues of MGNREGS in Implementation.
4.5 Working Conditions Under
MGNREGS
The table shows the working condition under
MGNREGS works under Krishna District of Andhra
Pradesh.
4.5.1 Display Board Details of Approved
Works in the Panchayat Office
Approximately two third beneficiaries agreed that the
details of the work had been shown in the panchayat
office. There was a significant association between
gender and the proper display of work details, where
more men felt the proper display of the details of their
work than that of women. The BC and minority
beneficiaries felt the proper display of work details in
the panchayat office than in the other communities,
and the association between the community and the
proper display of work details was significant.
4.5.2 Facility for Drinking Water
Approximately seventy-two per cent of beneficiaries
felt that there was a proper drinking water facility,
while the remaining twenty-eight per cent felt that
there was no proper supply of drinking water. There
was a significant association between gender and the
proper provision of drinking water at work, where
more women felt that drinking water was being
provided properly more than men did. The ST and BC
beneficiaries felt that the provision of proper drinking
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water facilities at the workplace was significant than
that of other communities, and that there was a strong
association between the community and the provision
of drinking water at the workplace.
4.5.3 Provision of Shelter at the Place of
Work
Approximately seventy-one per cent of beneficiaries
felt that there was a proper shelter whereas the
remaining twenty-nine per cent of beneficiaries felt
that there was no proper provision of shelter at work.
There was a significant association between gender
and the proper provision of shelter at the workplace.
4.5.4 Shelter to the Children at the Place of
Work
Approximately sixty-one per cent of beneficiaries felt
that there was a proper shelter for children where
thirty-eight per cent of recipients felt that there was
no proper shelter for their children. There was a
significant association between gender and the
provision of shelter for children at work where there
were more women than men who felt there was
proper provision of shelter for children. The OC and
BC recipients felt that shelter for children at work was
appropriate than that of other communities, and there
was a significant association between the community
and providing shelter for children at work.
4.5.5 Availability of First-Aid Kit at the
Place of Work
About ninety-one per cent of the beneficiaries felt that
first-aid kit was not available at workplace where as
only about eight per cent beneficiaries felt first-aid kit
was available at work place. No significant
association between gender and opinion on
availability of first-aid kit at work place was
observed. The association between community and
opinion and availability of first aid kit at workplace
was significant.
Table 5: Working Conditions under MGNREGS.
5 CONCLUSION
Most of the 2000 sample respondents were satisfied
with the MGNREG programme in the Krishna
District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Most of the
respondents were satisfied with the programme
because of wages paid under the programme, work
schedules, per month working days, and the
behaviour of programme officials. Respondents were
not satisfied with the allocation of work by field mate,
the application process, the allocation of work and
working conditions in the field and also had very low
savings due to low working days. The study also
found that political leaders and officials play a key
role in the processing of applications and the
allocation of work. The study concludes that the
MGNREG programme has had a significant impact
on rural development and the programme has a
greater impact on employment and on the generation
of income.
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