India, March 22 -- Workers now falling back into trap of migration with no fixed jobs, income

In the fertile fields of Murshidabad district in West Bengal, a quiet transformation is taking place. Men and women who once proudly identified as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers, wielding job cards as a symbol of rural security, are now resorting to a more precarious label - migrant labourers. The rural employment scheme, once a lifeline for millions in the state, sputtered to a halt around two years ago, leaving the vulnerable high and dry.

For years, MGNREGS provided a safety net, guaranteeing 100 days of work at minimum wages in rural India. In Murshidabad, the scheme offered crucial income during...