An Analysis on Socio-Economic Impact of MGNREGS on Dalit Women Beneficiaries in Northern Districts of Tamil Nadu
1*V. Thirumal Kannan and 2T. Raj Pravin
1Department of Agricultural Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar- 608002 (India) *Corresponding Author: V. Thirumal Kannan Email ID: thirumalkannan1996@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a job guarantee scheme which aims is to improve the livelihood and food security of people in rural areas by providing them guaranteed wage employment for a minimum of 100 days in a financial year. This study reveals that majority of the dalit women beneficiaries had achieved medium overall socio-economic impact after their participating in MGNREGS. With regard to indicator-wise impact on the dalit women beneficiaries, majority had medium annual income, lived as nuclear families with upto five members, were functionally literate, had a medium social status, incurred high expenditure on food consumption, possessed health insurance cards with good health status, had medium level of social participation and achieved medium material possession after their participation in MGNREGS. So to further improve the effectiveness of this welfare scheme in reaching its intended benefits, Our policy planners at the national and state level, district administrators at the regional level and extension professionals at all levels need to be involved and made to integrate and work together in strengthening this welfare scheme through the effective use of social audits and the deployment of advanced information and communication technologies.