Staff Reporter
Guwahati: In the recently concluded financial year 2023–24, only a total of 19,665 households got 100 days’ jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. The number is a cause for concern as a declining trend in 100-day’ job guarantees under the MGNREGA scheme has been noticed over the past several years.
To put it in perspective, in 2020–21, a total of 71,268 households got 100 days’ jobs under the MGNREGA scheme. This declined to 51,954 households in the 2021–22 financial year (FY). Again, it decreased to 21,478 households during FY 2022–23. The number declined further to 19,665 in the last financial year of 2023–24. The declining trend in offering 100-days’ jobs under the MGNREGA scheme in the state is evident from the above figures.
Offering a guaranteed 100 days worth of work to job card holders under the scheme is one of the primary objectives of the MGNREGA. It is a matter of concern that Assam has not been able to fulfil this objective.
In the last financial year of 2023–24, the districts with poor performance in providing 100 days’ jobs are: West Karbi Anglong with only 9 households; Cachar with 27; Tamulpur with 47; Dima Hsao with 54; Kamrup (Metro) with 56; and Karbi Anglong with 96 households. On the other hand, Karimganj district showed the best performance, with 1947 households provided the guaranteed jobs to card-holders in rural areas.
There are 38.48 lakh active job cards under the MGNREGA scheme in the state. Against these active job cards, there are a total of 59.27 lakh workers involved. The state Panchayat and Rural Development Department implements the MGNREGA scheme in the state with the help of local panchayats.
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