VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh has witnessed a sharp spike in the deletion of names under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) during the current financial year.
A whopping 18.38 lakh workers have been removed from the MGNREGA rolls in the State, which is the highest in the country.
Between October 10 and November 14, 2025, a total of 11.07 lakh workers were removed, an unusually high concentration within five weeks. This alone accounts for 68% of the 16.31 lakh deletions recorded across all States and Union Territories during the same period.
No other State crossed even the one-lakh mark in the country. Andhra Pradesh was followed by Telangana (95,084), Odisha (80,896), Jammu and Kashmir (79,070) and Chhattisgarh (65,619).
At the same time, worker additions have remained relatively low. Only 4.66 lakh workers have been added so far, amounting to barely one-fourth of the total deletions. The Centre had released Rs 7,707.21 crore to AP for 2025-26 under MGNREGA.
Data over the past three years reveal a widening gap between deletions and additions. A total of 33.97 lakh workers were deleted between 2023-24 and 2025-26, while 16.59 lakh were added, indicating a steady contraction of the MGNREGA workforce.
However, the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (PR&RD-MGNREGA) Department officials maintain that the process is routine and transparent. “Enrolment and deletions are reviewed every three months through Gram Sabhas. Names are removed due to job card holders’ migration, prolonged non-participation or death. Workers who return can re-enrol their names within a week,” said an official.
‘Many people opt out due to lack of interest’
According to the Ministry of Rural Development, AP has over 51 lakh households, and 90 lakh workers registered under MGNREGA. During 2024-25, 51.22 lakh households demanded work, and 75.23 lakh people participated, generating 24.23 crore person days.
Another official mentioned that many cardholders voluntarily seek deletion due to lack of interest in manual work, adding that job cards remain inactive if holders abstain from work for two consecutive years as per guidelines.
The story is reported by Y Brahmaji of The New Indian Express
