Tamil Nadu sees mass removal of 6 lakh MGNREGA beneficiaries: Know the reason

Other states have also seen significant card deletions, with 4,56, 004 cards removed in Bihar and 3, 36, 375 in Chhattisgarh. Additionally, 2, 15, 125 cards were removed in Assam, 1,82, 303 in Odisha, 5,021 in Karnataka, and 282 in Puducherry.

The workers of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme at a site in Tamil Nadu village (file photo)

New Delhi: The central government has announced the removal of 6, 19, 310 beneficiaries from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) in Tamil Nadu, the highest number in the country. This move comes after a review of job cards, citing reasons such as improper or fake cards, unwillingness to work, permanent migration, or beneficiary death.

Other states have also seen significant card deletions, with 4,56, 004 cards removed in Bihar and 3, 36, 375 in Chhattisgarh. Additionally, 2, 15, 125 cards were removed in Assam, 1,82, 303 in Odisha, 5,021 in Karnataka, and 282 in Puducherry.

MGNREGA purge: 6 Lakh Beneficiaries Removed from Tamil Nadu Rolls

The scheme, introduced in 2005 by the Manmohan Singh-led Congress government, guarantees 100 days of employment to one person from each rural family, providing unskilled manual labor opportunities for those above 18 years old with an Aadhaar card. Nationwide, 13.16 crore people benefit from the scheme, with 89, 70, 166 people in Tamil Nadu.

In a separate development, the central government increased wages under the scheme from April 1, 2024. In Tamil Nadu, the daily wage rose by 8.5% to Rs.319, with an additional Rs.25 per day for workers. Other states, including Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, also saw wage increases. Haryana now has the highest daily wage at Rs.374.

The removal of beneficiaries and wage hikes aim to optimize the scheme’s effectiveness and ensure benefits reach genuine recipients.

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