According to findings of a survey by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), the first ever on work activities generated through NREGS*, has another major finding: the majority of participants , over three-fourth,  in NREGS works were either from “agricultural labour” or “self-employed in agriculture”(poor peasants) category of households. The proportion was as high as 84 per cent in case of Andhra Pradesh.

 The survey, however, also indicated that the self-selection nature of NREGS appears to be working due to push factor (unemployment and starvation ) rather than any pull factor. This becomes clear from the finding that monthly per capita expenditure of NREGS participants is “substantially less than” for their counterparts not participating in NRGES work.

These findings have emerged during the NSSO’s survey of 82,108 people from 17,853 households drawn from 900 villages from three better performing states — Andhra Pradesh, MP and Rajasthan. The survey was conducted between July 2009 and December 2009, during the 66th round of NSS survey.  The villages were selected by NSSO using a “well structured multistage stratified sample design” for a panel survey during which these villages will be surveyed four times. The above findings are based on the first round visit for the panel survey.

“In all three states, among the households participating in MGNREGA work, those belonging to social group ‘others’ were considerably less (less than 10 per cent) as compared to the other three categories,” the report points as one of the key findings of first round of survey. While the general category participation stood at nine per cent, 3.1 per cent, and 7.8 per cent for Andhra Pradesh, MP and Rajasthan respectively, the OBCs emerged as the single largest social group participating in NREGS in Andhra (52.3 per cent) and Rajasthan (41.9 per cent). STs, however, were the single largest social group participating in the NREGS in MP with 40.5 per cent NREGS workers belonging to the group. The participation of SC communities, on the other hand, was about 25 per cent in all three states.

As for the households categories based on employment status, the NREGS has emerged the biggest attraction to those engaged in agricultural activities. “In all three states, among households that participated in MGNREGA work, majority was either from ‘agricultural labour’ households or from the ‘self employed in agriculture’(poor peasant households. For the states of Andhra Pradesh, MP and Rajasthan, among households that participated in MGNREGA work, about 84 per cent, 80 per cent and 61 per cent were ‘agricultural labour’ households or from the ‘self employed in agriculture’(poor peasant+ households,” it says.

That persons engaged in agriculture activities have been attracted most is obvious as participation of households self-employed in “non-agriculture” activities is less that 10 per cent in the states.

The NSSO panel survey has also indicated that it was relatively poor people in rural areas who were self-selecting themselves to seek livelihood under NREGS. “In all three states, average MPCE for the households participated in MGNREGA work is substantially less than that for the households not participated in MGNREGA works,” the report has highlighted as one of its key findings.

The survey points that monthly per capita expenditure of NREGS participants in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan was lesser by about 19 per cent, 26 per cent, and 11 per cent respectively as compared to their counterparts not participating in the NREGS in these states. This finding clearly differentiate NREGS participants from those of non-participants.

* NREGS: National Employment  Guarantee Scheme which was later renamed as MGNREGA  , (government sponsored rural public work projects)

Based on the report published in Indian Express, July 6, 2011 

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