Andhra Pradesh witnessed a steep decline in its MGNREGA workforce during the Aadhaar-based e-KYC drive carried out between 8 October and 19 November, 2025. Official data shows that 14.20 lakh workers were removed from the rolls in just 42 days, marking an 11.40 per cent drop—the highest decline recorded in any state during this period.
An analysis reportedly highlights the scale and pattern of the reduction. The total number of registered workers fell from 124.70 lakh to 110.50 lakh, while the number of active workers dropped by 6.20 lakh, representing a 6.40 per cent decline. Several districts saw unusually high deletion rates: Annamayya reported a 27 per cent fall, followed by Kakinada with 25 per cent, Tirupati with 20 per cent and East and West Godavari with around 18 per cent each.
The timing of the deletions overlaps almost exactly with the six-week deadline for completing e-KYC through the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app.
While Andhra Pradesh achieved one of the highest completion rates in the country—79 per cent for total workers and 86 per cent for active workers—the disproportionate scale of deletions indicates administrative pressure rather than authentic verification outcomes. Nationally, Andhra Pradesh accounts for around 60 per cent of all MGNREGA deletions recorded between 10 October and 12 November, according to the MIS.
The findings point to widespread violations of the Ministry of Rural Development’s January 2025 Standard Operating Procedure for worker deletions. Mandatory safeguards such as draft deletion lists, public display at Gram Panchayats, Gram Sabha-level verification, prior notification to workers, and objection windows were reportedly skipped. As a result, workers were removed without receiving any chance to contest or appeal their deletion.
These mass removals are attributed to systemic hurdles including peak migration, poor internet connectivity, biometric failures, incorrect Aadhaar seeding, and recurring NMMS app errors. With frontline staff facing strict timelines and relentless monitoring, deletions appear to have been used as an administrative shortcut rather than the outcome of field-level verification.
The trend echoes the 2022–23 Aadhaar-Based Payment System transition, during which 78 lakh workers were similarly removed from the MGNREGA database.
