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Accountability in the delivery of guaranteed employment through MGNREGA in rural India

Author

Listed:
  • Tara Bedi

    (Trinity College Dublin)

  • Lukas Kuld

    (Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick)

Abstract

We use the uneven roll-out of accountability measures to identify their impact on the provision of guaranteed employment in rural Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India. The public information campaign in the first stage of the accountability intervention led treated households to increase workdays during the non-lean agriculture season. This timing, contrary to the interests of local employers, suggests a more demand-driven provision of days worked. After the addition of an NGO supported grievance mechanism, treated households also work relatively more days during the lean season. These estimates, based on three rounds of Young Lives survey data, suggest that the combination of accountability measures enhanced the fulfillment of work entitlements. The paper further discusses the implementation of India's workfare program, accountability failures, and the design of the accountability measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Tara Bedi & Lukas Kuld, 2024. "Accountability in the delivery of guaranteed employment through MGNREGA in rural India," Working Papers WP012024, University of Limerick, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:lim:wpaper:2401
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Administrative processes; Corruption; Information and Knowledge; Labor Supply; Workers' Rights;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J83 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Workers' Rights

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