Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been widely considered to be... more Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been widely considered to be the most important public works programme for improving livelihoods of the rural poor in independent India. It provides employment to nearly 7.5 crore persons every year. However, the programme has been often criticized for not creating durable and productive assets.
Based on close to 1000 irrigation wells constructed under MGNREGA in rural Jharkhand, this study provides an objective and comprehensive picture of the costs and benefits of well construction, which is by far the most important asset under this programme, both in terms of number and expenditure. The study finds that wells have transformed the lives of thousands of rural poor by increasing their income from agriculture. This study is first of its kind which attempts to objectively measure the return on investment on assets. Even after accounting for all the losses incurred on account of the abandoned and missing wells, investments into MGNREGA wells still offer nearly a return of around 6 percent which is quite encouraging. As a whole this study shows the potentials of NREGA in raising productivity through asset creation in a poor region like Jharkhand and in that sense is a pioneering one. The study will be useful for all those interested in or involved with rural employment guarantee programme.
More than 1,00,000 wells were sanctioned for
construction under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural... more More than 1,00,000 wells were sanctioned for construction under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in Jharkhand during the last few years. This study evaluates the outcome of this well-construction drive through a survey of nearly 1,000 wells in 24 randomly selected gram panchayats. A majority of sanctioned wells (60% with parapet and 70% without) were completed at the time of the survey. Nearly 95% of completed wells are being utilised for irrigation, leading to a near tripling of agricultural income from the command area of the well. The real rate of return from these wells in Jharkhand is estimated to be close to 6%, a respectable figure for any economic investment. However, well construction involves some out-of-pocket expenses and this investment is risky: nearly 12% of the wells were abandoned midway.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been widely considered to be... more Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been widely considered to be the most important public works programme for improving livelihoods of the rural poor in independent India. It provides employment to nearly 7.5 crore persons every year. However, the programme has been often criticized for not creating durable and productive assets.
Based on close to 1000 irrigation wells constructed under MGNREGA in rural Jharkhand, this study provides an objective and comprehensive picture of the costs and benefits of well construction, which is by far the most important asset under this programme, both in terms of number and expenditure. The study finds that wells have transformed the lives of thousands of rural poor by increasing their income from agriculture. This study is first of its kind which attempts to objectively measure the return on investment on assets. Even after accounting for all the losses incurred on account of the abandoned and missing wells, investments into MGNREGA wells still offer nearly a return of around 6 percent which is quite encouraging. As a whole this study shows the potentials of NREGA in raising productivity through asset creation in a poor region like Jharkhand and in that sense is a pioneering one. The study will be useful for all those interested in or involved with rural employment guarantee programme.
More than 1,00,000 wells were sanctioned for
construction under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural... more More than 1,00,000 wells were sanctioned for construction under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in Jharkhand during the last few years. This study evaluates the outcome of this well-construction drive through a survey of nearly 1,000 wells in 24 randomly selected gram panchayats. A majority of sanctioned wells (60% with parapet and 70% without) were completed at the time of the survey. Nearly 95% of completed wells are being utilised for irrigation, leading to a near tripling of agricultural income from the command area of the well. The real rate of return from these wells in Jharkhand is estimated to be close to 6%, a respectable figure for any economic investment. However, well construction involves some out-of-pocket expenses and this investment is risky: nearly 12% of the wells were abandoned midway.
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Based on close to 1000 irrigation wells constructed under MGNREGA in rural Jharkhand, this study provides an objective and comprehensive picture of the costs and benefits of well construction, which is by far the most important asset under this programme, both in terms of number and expenditure. The study finds that wells have transformed the lives of thousands of rural poor by increasing their income from agriculture. This study is first of its kind which attempts to objectively measure the return on investment on assets. Even after accounting for all the losses incurred on account of the abandoned and missing wells, investments into MGNREGA wells still offer nearly a return of around 6 percent which is quite encouraging. As a whole this study shows the potentials of NREGA in raising productivity through asset creation in a poor region like Jharkhand and in that sense is a pioneering one. The study will be useful for all those interested in or involved with rural employment guarantee programme.
Papers by Pankaj Yadav
construction under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act in Jharkhand during the last
few years. This study evaluates the outcome of this
well-construction drive through a survey of nearly 1,000
wells in 24 randomly selected gram panchayats. A
majority of sanctioned wells (60% with parapet and
70% without) were completed at the time of the survey.
Nearly 95% of completed wells are being utilised for
irrigation, leading to a near tripling of agricultural
income from the command area of the well. The real rate of return from these wells in Jharkhand is estimated to be
close to 6%, a respectable figure for any economic
investment. However, well construction involves some out-of-pocket expenses and this investment is risky: nearly 12% of the wells were abandoned midway.
Based on close to 1000 irrigation wells constructed under MGNREGA in rural Jharkhand, this study provides an objective and comprehensive picture of the costs and benefits of well construction, which is by far the most important asset under this programme, both in terms of number and expenditure. The study finds that wells have transformed the lives of thousands of rural poor by increasing their income from agriculture. This study is first of its kind which attempts to objectively measure the return on investment on assets. Even after accounting for all the losses incurred on account of the abandoned and missing wells, investments into MGNREGA wells still offer nearly a return of around 6 percent which is quite encouraging. As a whole this study shows the potentials of NREGA in raising productivity through asset creation in a poor region like Jharkhand and in that sense is a pioneering one. The study will be useful for all those interested in or involved with rural employment guarantee programme.
construction under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act in Jharkhand during the last
few years. This study evaluates the outcome of this
well-construction drive through a survey of nearly 1,000
wells in 24 randomly selected gram panchayats. A
majority of sanctioned wells (60% with parapet and
70% without) were completed at the time of the survey.
Nearly 95% of completed wells are being utilised for
irrigation, leading to a near tripling of agricultural
income from the command area of the well. The real rate of return from these wells in Jharkhand is estimated to be
close to 6%, a respectable figure for any economic
investment. However, well construction involves some out-of-pocket expenses and this investment is risky: nearly 12% of the wells were abandoned midway.