Impact of MNREGA on household income employment generation, labour scarcity and migration: A study in Dahod district of Gujarat

The present study conducted in Dahod district of Gujarat by using multistage sampling techniques during 2012?13. The results revealed that the MNREGA programme had significantly positive impact on the income of the MNREGA beneficiaries as compared to non-beneficiaries and the income of the MNREGA beneficiaries was significantly influenced by the number of migrants in the households, number of livestock units owned, number of person days employed in agriculture, non-agriculture and MNREGA. The additional income (`5559) earned from MNREGA works was not much more but it strengthened the food and nutritional security of the vulnerable section of the society. The MNREGA programme generated employment on an average 37.28 person days per job demanding household from that the share of Schedule Tribe households and women was 61.14 and 46.46 percent, respectively. After implementation of MNREGA programme, the labour scarcity (35.10 percent) was created in farming and subsequently wage rate of agriculture operations was also increased. The programme reduced the migration up to some extent and shortened the length of out-migration period.