The National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) failed to stop the migration of farm labourers in search of livelihood in East Godavari district. A large number of labourers, especially from Narendrapuram of Rajanagaram mandal, are leaving their village in search of work to Nidadavole, Tadepalligudem and other areas in West Godavari district. More than 100 families, along with their children, are travelling on bullock carts with their belongings like cots, utensils, and clothes to other places to eke out their livelihood. Some labourers are unaware of the job scheme while others, though they enrolled under the scheme could not either obtain job cards or are not happy with the wages. Farm labourers Ramana and Lakshmi from Narendrapuram, who are migrant labourers said, "We do not find work in our village regularly. We are not aware of any job scheme as nobody informed us. As we find it difficult to run our household, we are looking for work elsewhere. We were told that there is some work to harvest the paddy crop at Tadepalligudem. We were assured of nearly Rs 300 per day and asked to work from the early hours till evening. So we are leaving our village for work. We were told that there will be work for more than a month there. We are going with all our belongings and once the work is over, we will go elsew-here again for work. We may retu-rn to our home village if we cannot find any work anywhere else." Another farm labourer Venkanna of Narendrapuram who is going to Nidadavole said, "Some of my fellow labourers joined the job scheme. They are getting very low wages and are discontent. So they are also planning to migrate for work elsewhere." Under the NREGP, wages are given, based on the nature and quantum of work done. A maximum ceiling of Rs 100 is imposed as wage for the day. NREGP special officer for Rajanagaram and Gokavaram and horticulture assistant director, Mr N. Mahendar Reddy said, "If there are any irregularities in the payment of wages and enrollment, we can sort them out. But we cannot stop labourers from moving to other places intending to make more money by doing more work."