An Evaluation of Financial Inclusion through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme

The government of India had initiated bank payments of wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP). This initiative is undoubtedly a big financial inclusion drive particularly among the rural poor of India. This paper has tried to evaluate this financial inclusion drive through MGNREGP in Mandir Bazar block of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on the basis of field survey. The picture came out from field research is very encouraging. It is established that a large section of rural poor now have a bank account which they can operate individually without taking much assistance from local panchayat officials or bank officials or any middleman. It is also identified that the women job card holders of the households are deprived to become literate about banking services. This initiative of the government also encourages few participating households to initiate some savings of their wage income