MGNREGA work demand up: 77% of budget used up in five months

Of the budgeted Rs 73,000 crore for the Centre's flagship scheme, around Rs 55,915.31 crore has already been exhausted in the first five months of FY22

Demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) continues to be robust in the first five months of the current fiscal year (2021-22, or FY22).
 
The numbers are still lower than 2020-21, which was an unusual year for MGNREGA work demand due to the nationwide lockdown and unprecedented migration of workers from cities to villages. But compared to the pre-pandemic 2019-20 (FY20), experts say demand still shows a spike. This, claim activists, is a strong signal.
 
Even though the economic situation might have improved in rural areas, it still hasn't returned to its