UP’s Employment Guarantee Scheme Empowers Workers with New Opportunities

“Uttar Pradesh’s Employment Guarantee Scheme, aligned with MGNREGA, provides 100 days of wage employment to rural workers, focusing on infrastructure and water conservation projects. Recent enhancements include increased wages and digital payment systems, despite challenges like delayed payments. The scheme aims to boost rural livelihoods, with over 1.58 crore households benefiting in 2024-25.”

Uttar Pradesh Bolsters Rural Employment with Enhanced Guarantee Scheme

Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, continues to strengthen its rural workforce through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) framework, tailored to meet local needs. The Employment Guarantee Scheme in UP, operational since 2006, ensures at least 100 days of unskilled manual work annually for rural households. As of February 2025, the scheme has engaged over 1.58 crore households, providing a critical safety net for the rural poor amidst economic uncertainties.

In 2024-25, UP implemented key updates to the scheme, aligning with the Union Ministry of Rural Development’s directives. The minimum wage for MGNREGA workers in the state was raised to ₹374 per day, effective April 2024, reflecting a 10% hike in some districts to counter inflation and rising living costs. This adjustment aims to enhance the purchasing power of workers engaged in projects like road construction, water conservation, and afforestation. For instance, in districts like Pune, 11 high-demand works, including horticulture development and fruit garden promotion, have been prioritized to create sustainable assets while ensuring employment.

The state has also embraced digital reforms to streamline operations. The National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS), mandated in December 2022, requires workers to upload two time-stamped, geo-tagged photographs daily to track attendance. Additionally, the Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) has been enforced to ensure transparent wage disbursal. However, these digital mandates have sparked concerns, with reports indicating that over 50% of workers faced exclusion due to connectivity issues or Aadhaar linkage problems in 2023. Protests by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha in Delhi highlighted these challenges, citing unpaid wages and bureaucratic hurdles.

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Despite such issues, UP’s scheme has made significant strides. In 2023-24, the state deleted 85.64 lakh job cards identified as fake or duplicate, ensuring better resource allocation. The government has also integrated water scarcity remediation programs, with action plans to address drought-prone areas through projects like well construction and irrigation channels. These efforts align with the scheme’s secondary objective of creating durable rural infrastructure.

UP’s Employment Guarantee Scheme also emphasizes inclusivity. Women constitute a significant portion of the workforce, with equal wages ensured under the scheme. In Kerala, a similar model has seen 90% of MGNREGS jobs go to women, a trend UP aims to emulate. Additionally, the state guarantees unemployment allowances if work is not provided within 15 days of application, reinforcing its commitment to workers’ rights.

The scheme’s impact is evident in its scale. In 2022-23, 6.49 crore households nationwide demanded work under MGNREGA, with 5.7 crore availing it, according to the Economic Survey 2022-23. In UP, the focus on local governance through Gram Panchayats ensures community-driven project selection, with 60% of works dedicated to agriculture-related assets. However, activists argue that the scheme’s budget, at 0.19% of GDP in 2023-24, remains inadequate to meet demand, urging a minimum allocation of ₹2.72 lakh crore for 2024-25 to fulfill the 100-day promise.

Challenges persist, including delayed wage payments, with ₹4,700 crore owed to 18 states as of December 2022. UP has taken steps to address this through direct bank transfers, but rural connectivity issues continue to hinder progress. The state’s proactive measures, such as grievance redressal mechanisms and toll-free helplines, aim to mitigate these concerns, ensuring workers can voice complaints and track responses.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on information from government websites, news reports, and recent analyses by organizations like NREGA Sangharsh Morcha. Data is sourced from the Ministry of Rural Development, The Hindu, Economic Times, and other credible outlets. Readers are advised to verify details with official sources for the latest updates.

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