Comparative Performance of MGNREGA in Eastern and Western Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Eastern and Western parts of Uttar Pradesh plains have always showed different patterns and levels of development throughout the post-independence period whether it was adoption of new technology, public investment, irrigation or cropping pattern. In fact, such regional differences in these two regions existed even during the colonial period. It is in this historical context the present study evaluate the MGNREGA performance in Ballia and Meerut districts of eastern and western Uttar Pradesh. It brings out similarities and contrasts in the performance of the programme in terms of outreach, demand patterns, employment provision, persondays generated and social inclusion of disadvantaged groups such as women and scheduled caste/ scheduled Tribe. Official MGNREGA data has been used for the comparative analyses of two districts. Data has been analyses by computing the triennium averages for the three year period (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25). the study finds that in Ballia MGNREGA is an integral part of livelihood strategies of the labour households and functions as a core stabilising institution. On the other hand, in the west Uttar Pradesh districts such as Meerut, which is more diversified in terms of employment, the programme generally operates as supplementary and residual safety net to which the labour households resort in adverse times. In both the districts monthly demand pattern is synchronised with the rhythms of the agricultural production cycle.