As the country moves towards easing of curbs with the ebbing of the second wave, there are signs that the job scheme may explode once work resumes at full capacity. The programme recorded 29.7 crore persondays of work in May, the worst phase of the second wave, which is a rough 50% dip from the 56.9 crore persondays notched in the same month in 2020.
MGNREGS has often served as a lifeline to the rural underprivileged. In these times of lockdowns, when millions of migrant workers have returned to their respective villages, the job guarantee scheme must be implemented with renewed vigour. It can be a lifesaver for millions.
The drop points to the impact of the disease in rural areas during the second wave, in stark contrast to last year when the virus was largely limited to cities and towns. The rural populace this time was struck badly by the infections and the local lockdowns imposed to break the chain kept the workers indoors and MGNREGS sites empty. Interestingly, the work pattern aptly maps the onset of pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
This April, the job scheme recorded 34.1 crore persondays, much higher than 14.2 crore persondays generated in April 2020. When the pandemic emerged in the country last year, a nationwide lockdown was imposed in March-end and the MGNREGS resumed only after the partial easing of curbs on April 20 — practically consuming entire month and resulting in lower level of work. On the contrary, the second wave hit only in the third week of April 2021 when localized lockdowns across states were announced according to the intensity of the pandemic.
The Corona-induced dent on MGNREGS in May 2021 broke the normal course of work pattern witnessed during the year. In March, 25.6 crore persondays of work was generated, slipping from 30.8 crore persondays in February, before rising again in April to 34.1 crore persondays. The MGNREGS work goes up from December to February, albeit not by big margins, before dipping in March and remaining at roughly the same level in April. Then, it rises in May and remains at same level in June, followed by a downward trend again till October.
