Demand for MGNREGA jobs nearly doubled in five years: Govt data

New Delhi, April 4 (KNN) Owing to higher job demand under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Karnataka, the number of person demanding job has almost doubled in the last five years from 8.58 crore in 2017-18 to 16.28 crore in 2021-22 , data released by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) shows.

The rising urban distress, drop in wages for agricultural labourers and reverse migration from cities to villages, and subsequent lockdown, among others factors have contributed to this rise.

Karnataka’s Minister for Small Scale Industries N Nagaraju (MTB) informed the legislative council  that over 45,000 labourers, working in small scale units lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

A total of 754 registered small scale industries, including 562 in 2020 and 102 in 2021 have shut down, he said. 

Nagaraj said non-availability of raw materials, shortage of skilled labour and lack of investments were some of the reasons that impacted the functioning of small scale industries.

RDPR department additional chief secretary LK Ateeq said, “The urban distress, lack of jobs in urban areas with small and medium enterprises (SME) faring badly has led to an increase in demand for jobs in rural areas,”.

The trend indicates that a large number of people have been able to earn from MGNREGA compared to white-collar jobs in cities like Bengaluru, considered the technology capital of India, he added.

As per the data, the number of people registering for jobs under the MGNREGA has nearly doubled in the last five years, from 38.91 lakh persons in 2017-18 to 63.92 lakhs in 2021-22.

The lower wages in open markets across northern Karnataka, which houses some of the most backward districts in the country, also makes MGNREGA attractive as a steady source of income, said Ateeq.

Ateeq said MGNREGA wages in the last five years have increased from Rs  236 per day in 2017-18 to Rs 289 in 2021-22. (KNN Bureau)