MGNREGA
What this is
An employment scheme by the MoRD, providing provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled work. Any Indian citizen above the age of 18 years and residing in a rural area can apply to this scheme.
In detail
An employment scheme by the Ministry of Rural Development, providing provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled work. Any Indian citizen above the age of 18 years and residing in a rural area can apply to this scheme. The applicant receives guaranteed employment within 15 days from the date of application.
The wage is deposited directly in the Bank Account / Post Office Account of the applicant. Wages are paid within a week, or fifteen days at most. Men and Women are paid equally. MGNREGA covers the entire country with the exception of districts that have a hundred percent urban population.
Who qualifies
- The applicant must be at least 18 years of age.
- The applicant must be residing in a Rural Area.
What you get
- The applicant receives guaranteed employment within 15 days from the date of application.
- Work is to be provided within a radius of 5 kilometers of the applicant’s residence if possible, and in any case within the Block. If the applicant lives more than 5 km away from the worksite, he/she will be entitled to a travel and subsistence allowance (10% of the minimum wage).
- Wages are paid within a week, or fifteen days at most. Men and Women are paid equally.
- Shade, drinking water, and first-aid are provided at every worksite.
Exclusive measures for the promotion of the participation of the disabled persons:
- Identification of suitable works
- Mobilization of disabled persons by focussing on awareness and special provisions
- Specifically identified works for disabled persons in the case of large GPs
- Preference to appoint as mates and as workers for providing drinking water, to manage crèches, etc., at the worksites
- Adoption of tools and equipment/facilities at workplaces
- Treating persons with disabilities with respect
- Special drive to ensure 100 days of employment to such households
- Provide a special job card of a distinct color
Specific attention and provisions for Senior Citizens:
- Exclusive senior citizen groups may be formed and special works which require lesser physical effort are identified and allotted to these groups.
Specific attention and provisions for Internally Displaced Persons:
- A special job card to be provided will be valid till these families are displaced and will lose its validity as soon as they return to their original place of residence.
Who is excluded
NA
The CAG has audited this
| Report | Kind | Government | Tabled | Read it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report No. 5 of 2013 - Performace Audit on Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of Government of Andhra Pradesh | Performance | Andhra Pradesh | 21 June 2013 | CAG |
| Report No. 4 of 2013 - Performance Audit on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme of Government of Jharkhand | Performance | Jharkhand | 27 July 2013 | CAG |
| Report No. 7 of 2013 - Performance Audit on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme of Government of Karnataka | Performance | Karnataka | 30 July 2013 | CAG |
| Report No 1 of 2023 - Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Performance Audit on Implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Punjab | Performance | Punjab | 07 March 2023 | CAG |
| Report No. 6 of 2013 - Performance Audit of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme of Union Government, Ministry of Rural Development | Performance | Union | 23 April 2013 | CAG |
| Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Report No. 6 of 2025) | Performance | Uttarakhand | 10 March 2026 | CAG |
What the CAG’s reports record
Replaced: Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Scheme
| Began | December 2005; 100 days of employment named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” the register’s sources differ: myScheme: 2006-02-02 (myScheme dates the Act's coming into force in the first 200 districts; the CAG dates its passage) | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report of 2013, Stand Alone Report on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for the year ended 31 March 2012, Government of Bihar, Executive Summary, p. vii. |
| Began | NREGA passed September 2005 named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” under Government of India the register’s sources differ: myScheme: 2006-02-02 (myScheme dates the Act's coming into force in the first 200 districts; the CAG dates its passage) | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 of 2013, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Government of Jharkhand, Executive Summary, p. ix. |
| Renamed | October 2009, from NREGA named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 6 of 2025, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Government of Uttarakhand, para 1.1, p. 1. |
| Renamed | NREGA renamed MGNREGA in October 2009 named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” under Government of India | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 of 2013, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Government of Jharkhand, Executive Summary, p. ix. |
| Renamed | NREGA renamed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act from October 2009 named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 for the year ended 31 March 2011, West Garo Hill District, Government of Meghalaya, para 6.3, p. 53. |
| Renamed | NREGA renamed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in October 2009 named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report of 2013, District Ludhiana, Government of Punjab, para 1.2.3, p. 2. |
| Type | Centrally Sponsored Scheme, cost shared between Centre and States named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 7 of 2025, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Government of Maharashtra, para 3.4, p. 21. |
| Type | Centrally sponsored, Centre-State cost sharing named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 8 of 2025, Functioning of Micro Project Agencies for development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in the State and Implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the State, Government of Odisha, para 1.7, p. x. |
| Type | centrally sponsored programme named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 of 2013, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Government of Bihar, Executive Summary, p. vii. |
| Funding | Government of India 90 : State 10 (as audited, 2013) named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 of 2013, Performance Audit of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for the year ended 31 March 2012, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Chapter 4 (Financial Management), p. 19. |
| Funding | centrally sponsored scheme, Centre and State share 90:10 named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 7 of 2013, Performance Audit of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Government of Karnataka, para 5.1, p. 18. |
| Funding | Centre 90 : State 10 (as audited, 2006) named in the report “National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report for the year ended 31 March 2007, Panchayat Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies, Government of Andhra Pradesh, para 2.1.1, p. 24. |
| Coverage | in force in 200 districts from 2 February 2006; 130 more in 2007-08 named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report of 2013, Stand Alone Report on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for the year ended 31 March 2012, Government of Bihar, para 1.1, p. 1. |
| Coverage | 200 districts from 2 February 2006; 130 more districts in 2007-08 named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 of 2013, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Government of Bihar, para 1.1, p. 1. |
| Coverage | Punjab: Hoshiarpur from 2 February 2006; Amritsar, Jalandhar and Nawanshahar from 1 April 2007; remaining districts from 1 April 2008 named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report of 2013, Social, General and Economic Sectors (Non-Public Sector Undertakings), Government of Punjab, para 2.2.1.1, p. 32. |
| Coverage | launched in 20 of 22 districts of Jharkhand in February 2006 named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 of 2013, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Government of Jharkhand, para 1.1, PDF p. 16. |
| Benefit | Daily wage began at Rs 58, raised to Rs 80 from 23 May 2007 named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 of 2013, Performance Audit of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for the year ended 31 March 2012, Government of Uttar Pradesh, para 6.10, p. 44. |
| Benefit | 100 days of employment to rural households named in the report “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 of 2013, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Government of Bihar, Executive Summary, p. vii. |
| Andhra Pradesh Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, a programme within this | ||
|---|---|---|
| Began | February 2006, in 13 districts under Government of Andhra Pradesh | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report for the year ended 31 March 2007, Panchayat Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies, Government of Andhra Pradesh, para 2.1.1, p. 24. |
| Jammu and Kashmir Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, a programme within this | ||
| Began | notified March 2007 under Government of Jammu and Kashmir | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 1 of 2013, Social, General, Economic (Non-PSUs) and Revenue Sectors, Government of Jammu and Kashmir State (Upto 30-Oct-2019), para 2.2.6, p. 44. |
| Karnataka Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, a programme within this | ||
| Began | Notified February 2007 under NREGA under Government of Karnataka | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report of 2026, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Government of Karnataka, Executive Summary, p. ix. |
| State Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (SREGP), a programme within this | ||
| Funding | centrally sponsored scheme, cost shared between the Centre and the State | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report for the year ended 31 March 2009, District West Tripura, Government of Tripura, p. 38. |
| West Bengal Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, a programme within this | ||
| Began | Notified February 2006 under Government of West Bengal | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report of 2015, Report of the Examiner of Local Accounts on Panchayati Raj Institutions for the year ending 31 March 2013, Government of West Bengal, para 3.1.1, p. 35. |
| National Food for Work Programme (NFFWP), replaced by this | ||
| Ended | closed with the onset of MGNREGS; balances to be transferred to MGNREGS (instructions of December 2005) under Government of India | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report of 2013, Social, General and Economic Sectors (Non-Public Sector Undertakings), Government of Punjab, para 2.2.7.3.2, p. 40. |
| Merged into | merged in MGNREGS automatically when a district was notified under the Act | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 7 of 2013, Performance Audit of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Government of Karnataka, para 1.1, p. 1. |
| Merged into | merged into NREGS in February 2006 | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 of 2013, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Government of Jharkhand, para 1.1, PDF p. 16. |
| Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana, replaced by this | ||
| Ended | Subsumed in NREGS, February 2006 | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report for the year ended 31 March 2011, District Nagaon, Government of Assam, para 6.2, p. 66. |
| Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), replaced by this | ||
| Ended | closed with the onset of MGNREGS; balances to be transferred to MGNREGS (instructions of December 2005) under Government of India | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report of 2013, Social, General and Economic Sectors (Non-Public Sector Undertakings), Government of Punjab, para 2.2.7.3.2, p. 40. |
| Merged into | merged in MGNREGS automatically when a district was notified under the Act | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 7 of 2013, Performance Audit of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Government of Karnataka, para 1.1, p. 1. |
| Merged into | merged into NREGS in February 2006 | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 4 of 2013, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Government of Jharkhand, para 1.1, PDF p. 16. |
| Merged into | subsumed in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme in February 2006 | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 3 of the year 2010-11, Impact of Implementation of Developmental Schemes in South District, Government of Sikkim, para 6.2, p. 65. |
| Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana; National Food for Work Programme, replaced by this | ||
| Ended | Merged into MGNREGS as each district was notified under the Act | Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Report No. 6 of 2013, Performance Audit of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Union Government (Civil), Ministry of Rural Development, para 1.2, p. 2. |
not about the scheme.
application field: empty
Provenance
| schemeName | Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act | myScheme · 2026-10-17 |
| schemeOpenDate | 2006-02-02 | myScheme · 2026-10-17 |
| schemeCloseDate | ... | not published at source |
| nodalMinistryName | Ministry Of Rural Development | myScheme · 2026-10-17 |
| dbtScheme | True | myScheme · 2026-10-17 |
| achievement data | ... | no source publishes this for any central scheme |