Work Demand Overview
- Demand Decrease: In April 2025, households demanding work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) stood at 20.1 million, reflecting a 6.6% decrease compared to April 2024.
- Historical Comparison: This figure is the lowest for April since 2020-21. However, it is still higher than pre-Covid levels, although the gap between current demand and pre-Covid demand is narrowing.
Year-on-Year and Sequential Trends
- Year-on-Year Drop: The demand for work in April 2025 showed a decline compared to the same month in the previous year.
- Sequential Growth: Despite the year-on-year decline, the demand in April 2025 was higher than in March 2025, indicating a sequential increase in work demand.
Financial Allocation and Labour Budget
- Union Budget Allocation: The Union Budget for FY26 allocated â‚ą86,000 crore for MGNREGA, maintaining the same amount as the Revised and Budget Estimates for the previous year.
- Approved Labour Budget: The approved labour budget for FY26 is around 199 crore person-days, which is 18.44% lower than the actual labour budget for FY25.
This reflects the ongoing trend of fluctuating demand for work under the scheme, despite consistent financial support from the government.
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