Spending under rural jobs scheme up 4% in 2023-24

The rural development ministry has pegged the 2024-25 person-day generation target (called labour budget) at 2.21 billion under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), down 27% from the actual level in the previous fiscal.

Work demand under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) saw a significant decline in July, dropping 21.6% year-over-year and 33.4% from the previous month. The decrease is attributed to strong economic activity and ample monsoon rains, which have shifted unskilled labor towards agriculture.

About 44.23 million individuals opted for work under the scheme in June, up 2.3% from a year before, according to preliminary data compiled by rural development ministry. The month-on-month rise, however, was about 3.8% in June.

MGNREGS received additional ₹3,400 crore, raising total allocation to ₹89,400 crore. Person-days exceeded targets. 10% wage hike during 8.4% growth. 'Below normal' 2023 monsoon affected work demand projections.

The Centre may have to sharply increase the outlay for its flagship rural job guarantee scheme, with 58% of the budgeted Rs 60,000 crore for 2023-24 used up in the first quarter itself, an official indicated. Almost steady work demand and up to 10.4% hike in wage rates under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have kept expenditure under the programme elevated, the official told ET on condition of anonymity.

Expenditure under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in FY23 at ₹1.01 lakh crore still remained close to 12% higher than the Centre's actual fund release for the year, showed the data from the rural development ministry as of April 5.

About 93% of the FY24 budgetary allocation of ₹60,000 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has been released, a person familiar with the details told ET. This has prompted the rural development ministry to seek substantial supplementary demands for funds to run the scheme throughout this fiscal year, he said.

The demand for work under the government's rural job scheme, MGNREGS, has seen an unusual trend this fiscal year. While demand usually peaks in the summer months, it has grown rapidly during the monsoon season. Experts believe that erratic seasonal rains have prevented rural workers from migrating to farming, leading them to rely on the MGNREGS for employment.

The unusual move came after 95% of the FY24 budgetary outlay of ₹60,000 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) was exhausted well before the commencement of the winter session of parliament, thanks to a rise in work demand, the official told ET.

MGNREGS wages of about ₹35,000-40,000 crore are estimated to have gone into the construction of houses under the PMAY (Gramin) since the scheme was rolled out in November 2016 by revamping the erstwhile India Awas Yojana, said the person. House construction has picked up pace in the last two years, pushing up the MGNREGS wage costs on such an account.