HYDERABAD: As the Central government moves closer to repealing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and replacing it with a new programme, Viksit Bharat -- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission, Gramin (VB - G RAM G), official data, accessed by TNIE, indicates that the existing scheme has helped in absorbing economic shocks, particularly during the pandemic.
Annual expenditure trends reflect both steady demand and crisis-driven spikes. Between 2014–15 and 2019–20, total spending in Telangana ranged between Rs 2,038 crore and Rs 3,028 crore per year.
The outlay rose sharply during the Covid-19 pandemic, touching Rs 4,543.50 crore in 2020–21 and peaking at Rs 4,671 crore in 2021–22, as returning migrant workers and rural households turned to MGNREGS for income security. During this period, person-days generated surged to 15.79 crore and 14.75 crore respectively, the highest in the decade.
The MGNREGS is currently being implemented in 12,760 gram panchayats across 565 rural mandals in 31 rural districts of the state.
Since 2014, around 51.97 lakh job cards have been issued in the state, covering about 1.06 crore individuals. Out of these, 32.56 lakh job cards are currently active, with 54.02 lakh registered wage seekers.
The data also shows that an average of 25.88 lakh households per annum have reported under the scheme since 2014, generating 141.47 crore person-days of employment over 12 financial years.
The cumulative expenditure during this period stood at Rs 39,167.1 crore, including Rs 22,852.10 crore towards wages, Rs 13,631.87 crore on material costs and Rs 2,710.27 crore on administrative expenses.
Even after the pandemic, expenditure has remained high. In 2023-24, total spending crossed Rs 4,075 crore, while 2024-25 saw an outlay of Rs 4,344.51 crore.
On average, the government has been incurring around Rs 3,263.9 per active job card per annum.
Congress to stage statewide protests
TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Tuesday called for statewide protests on December 17 against what he described as the Centre’s “conspiracy” to repeal or dilute the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005, and to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the flagship rural employment scheme in the proposed new bill.
In a press statement issued here, Mahesh Goud said that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had given a call to take the issue to rural people and expose the alleged attempt by the BJP-led Union government to undermine the scheme that provides livelihood security to the poor and rural workers.
In line with the AICC’s call, he said protest programmes would be organised at all district headquarters on December 17 under the District Congress Committees (DCCs). As part of the protest, Congress workers and leaders will assemble at Gandhi statues and hold portraits of Mahatma Gandhi to register their opposition to the Centre’s move.
He said the scheme had offered dignity to labour and assurance to crores of rural households, and any attempt to dilute it would directly hurt the poorer sections.