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In the fertile fields of Murshidabad district in West Bengal, a quiet transformation is taking place. Men and women who once proudly identified as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers, wielding job cards as a symbol of rural security, are now resorting to a more precarious label — migrant labourers. The rural employment scheme, once a lifeline for millions in the state, sputtered to a halt around two years ago, leaving the vulnerable high and dry.
For years, MGNREGS provided a safety net, guaranteeing 100 days of work at minimum wages in rural India. In Murshidabad, the scheme offered crucial income during lean agricultural seasons. However, since December 2021, the programme in West Bengal has been crippled by a funding dispute between the central and state governments.
The central government stopped commissioning work and no labour budget has been approved for the scheme in the state in the last two years.
Now, numerous ‘ghost villages’ have come up in West Bengal, as the able-bodied are leaving to find any work they can. Those who have to stay back are grappling to even make ends meet. Down To Earth (DTE) visited these areas to see the impact.
“We feel that the work we did under MGNREGS was during a different lifetime,” said 58-year-old Rejjak Shaikh from Chor Kishnupur village in Akhriganj Gram Panchayat of the district.
Rejjak is now a frequent migrant who travels to Sri Lanka, Malda, Dubai, as well as states like Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Kerala and Goa in the country. “I stay for a couple of months for a break or to take care of anything that needs attention for the family and then I move again,” he added.
Villagers like Rejjak find no job opportunities in the vicinity and hence resort to seeking jobs elsewhere. “I often have to bribe the contractors or other officials to give me priority for work. But there is no other alternative,” he said.
About 80 to 90 per cent of residents across the villages in Murshidabad district have no work and have been forced to migrate, according to locals.
The transition from MGNREGS workers to migrant labourers is a concerning trend, particularly considering that the scheme was established to prevent migrations.
Anuradha Talwar, convener of NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, a collective of experts and activists fighting for the rights of workers, said, “The purpose of the MGNREGS was to stop migration and provide local livelihoods. The main objective is being defeated as the Centre has stopped providing work and is refusing to clear pending wages.”
The central government, on December 21, 2021, invoked Section 27 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and suddenly stopped the funds for the scheme, claiming non-compliance with central directives.
But the Murshidabad residents claimed they had stopped receiving wages for almost five years, three years before the central government stopped funds. “Our wages were stopped and there was no explanation given. Employees from neighbouring Nadia district did receive regular wages,” Rejjak said.
The residents said repeated requests to the block development officer regarding the same did not solve their problems.
Raju Shaikh from the same village said most villagers used to get almost 100 days of work, which gave stability and reliable income. “But with the source of income gone, life has taken a hit,” he said.
There was no dignity in working as a labourer on a construction site, in carpentry, masonry, as drivers, domestic workers, or in other odd jobs, Shaikh said.
Other villagers said they can no longer identify themselves as professionals or experts with specific skills. “Everyone takes any job that comes at hand, depending on the money. Earning money has become the sole motive,” he added.
Ajimuddin Shaikh, another MGNREGS worker, said earning money has become a priority as they have to work more for less money. “We used to earn Rs 180 per day for about a guaranteed 70-80 days. But now we earn Rs 300-400 per day but work fewer days. Sometimes once every 10 days. If we migrate, we do not get as much work even if we club all the working days, he added.
The workers are facing exploitation, uncertainty and separation from their families while living hand to mouth. There are no savings and they constantly look for any jobs that they find.
We only want to survive and feed our family, said Rintu Mondal from Bidupur colony in Jalangi village. “Our jobs are no longer fixed. We may not necessarily pursue the same job for years. We change states, cities, jobs, depending on where we will be able to work, often moving,” he said.
MGNREGS guaranteed a stable income, a good life, as we didn’t have to leave our homes and live like nomads, Mondal said.
Interactions with villagers by DTE revealed that often the contractors don’t pay the workers as promised. Dues can remain unpaid for more than three months. Workers in such cases are forced to find another job rather than put up with the contractors for their rightful wages.
Moreover, this constant shift does not allow these workers to identify as professionals in any field or even receive self-respect, the locals underlined.