The number of registered MGNREGA workers fell from 124.7 lakh to 110.5 lakh, a decline of 11.4%, between October 8 and November 19, 2025, a LibTech India report said. | Photo credit: File Photo
Andhra Pradesh saw a significant short-term decline in its MGNREGA workforce during the Aadhaar e-KYC drive that took place in October and November this year, according to a new analysis by LibTech India, a research-based nonprofit working to improve transparency, accountability and efficiency in public service delivery.
The report estimates that the state accounted for nearly 60% of all job cuts nationally during that period.
Between October 8 and November 19, 2025, the number of registered workers decreased from 124.7 million to 110.5 million, a decrease of 11.4%. Active workers also fell by 6.2 million. Districts like Annamayya, Kakinada, Tirupati, East Godavari and West Godavari have seen steeper decline.
While the participant base in MGNREGA often changes at different times of the year, the report said a reduction of this magnitude in a six-week window is unusual and corresponds to the mandatory e-KYC timeline.
Andhra Pradesh also achieved the highest e-KYC completion rate in India at about 79% among all workers and 86% among active workers, a performance the report describes as commendable given the size of the program and the logistical challenges involved.
However, the analysis notes that the state’s high completion rate corresponds to its large share of national cuts, suggesting a complex interaction between administrative schedules, field conditions and worker mobility.
Working with tight deadlines and daily monitoring requirements, field officials, the report said, often dealt with connectivity gaps, biometric authentication failures, Aadhaar photo mismatches and errors in the NMMS attendance application.
A large number of rural workers migrate seasonally for agricultural and non-agricultural work, making it difficult for officials to reach them in time to complete e-KYC, the report said, adding that in several such cases, workers who could not be contacted or assisted within a short period of time appear to have been removed from the management information system (MIS) rather than given additional time or support.
“There are also concerns about procedural safeguards,” said Naveen Kumar Gajjalagari, a researcher at LibTech India, citing the Union Rural Development Ministry’s January 2025 SOP, which requires draft deletion lists to be prepared and publicly displayed at Panchayats, reviewed in Grama Sabhas and shared with workers before any deletion is finalised.
“Our field studies did not find evidence that these steps were being consistently followed and that the panchayats responsible for verification were not fully involved in the process,” said Mr Naveen Kumar.
Pointing to the report, which also draws parallels with earlier Aadhaar-linked transitions, noting previous episodes of large-scale migration in the state in 2022-23, he said these recurring patterns indicate a gap between rapid verification units and the reality of workers who may face hurdles in completing biometric processes or may be out of migration during the verification period.
LibTech India has advised the government to consider suspending the mandatory e-KYC and NMMS requirements until safeguards are strengthened.
It proposed a reinstatement campaign through public display of deletion lists at gram-panchayats, reinstatement of workers removed without due process, and resumption of consultation with workers and civil society through participatory models used in earlier years.
Published – 02 Dec 2025 19:41 IST
