MGNREGA Falls Short in Haryana: Only 1.39 Lakh Families Got 100 Days’ Work in 18 Years

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which came with the promise of 100 days of guaranteed employment to rural families, has yet to get any momentum in Haryana, according to official statistics.

From 2007-08 to December 29, 2025, a total of only 1.39 lakh registered families were able to complete 100 days of employment under the scheme. This is a surprisingly small number given that today, there are 15.61 lakh registered families and 26.37 registered workers under MGNREGA in Haryana.

What is more concerning is that only about 20% of registered workers are actively seeking work. In the current financial year, out of 26.37 lakh registered members, just 4.53 lakh workers demanded employment. Even more starkly, only 159 workers completed 100 days of work this year.

Wage Gap Driving Workers Away

Experts point out that the disconnect between MGNREGA and the agriculture sector is a major reason for the scheme’s poor performance in Haryana. The state currently has the highest agricultural wage rate in the country, even higher than Punjab.

Agricultural daily wage in Haryana: ₹433

MGNREGA daily wage: ₹400

Market wage for unskilled labour: up to ₹500 per day

With a clear wage disadvantage, rural workers prefer farm work or private labour opportunities over MGNREGA employment. Although lakhs of job cards were issued when the scheme began, actual demand for work declined once workers compared wages. 

Agriculture-Dominated Economy

Haryana is still an agri-based state with more than 60% of its population having a direct or indirect linkage with agriculture. The agricultural land available with the state is 89 lakhs of acres, providing employment throughout the year.

At present, more than one lakh migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are employed in Punjab and Haryana’s agricultural sector.

Economists and labour experts have long argued that MGNREGA must be linked with agricultural activities in states like Haryana and Punjab for it to succeed.They emphasize that it is necessary to coordinate salaries and working rates according to regional economic parameters instead of a nationwide system.

Poor National Performance

The performance of Haryana under the MGNREGA act is further highlighted by the state’s position at the national level. The state does not even count among the top 20 states concerning the number of active workers and the number of projects completed. Haryana ranks 28th at the national level because of only 4.53 lakh active workers against a total of 26.37 lakh workers registered. It is expected that if such wage structures and agricultural integration schemes are not brought into place according to the states, the MGNREGA in Haryana is destined to fall short despite its ambitious goals, according to experts.