Amaravati, February 13, 2026: In the narrow lanes of Bandarugudem in Krishna district, rural workers face the same old hurdles under a new name.
Women in their 50s and 60s say they fight for even two weeks of pay, as local assets like village tanks get leased out, drying up job options.
Nearby Ampapuram offers a brighter view, where MGNREGA-built sheds and plantations have boosted family earnings and groundwater levels.
Statewide, Andhra Pradesh delivered just 52 days of work per household last year. The revamped scheme shifts more costs to states and ties jobs to budgets, raising worries about access for the most vulnerable.
