Over 16 Lakh MGNREGS Workers Deleted in Oct-Nov

Over 16 lakh workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) were deleted between October 10 and November 14, 2025.

During the same period, around 10.84 lakh new workers were added.

The Rural Development Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, informed the Lok Sabha about this.

The deletions are part of a larger trend, with a total of 457.97 lakh job cards deleted between 2019-20 and 2024-25, while 654.22 lakh job cards were added in the same period.

The highest number of deletions occurred in 2022-23.

The ministry has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure that the deletions are done in compliance with the guidelines and to protect the rights of workers.

The SOP includes measures like publishing draft lists of job cards marked for deletion, verification at Gram Sabhas, and the right of appeal for affected workers.

The ministry is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scheme and ensuring that the benefits reach eligible rural households.