Lok Sabha Question No. 2733 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-02
Subject: Grievance Redressal under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, SANTOSH AHLAWAT, PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, SUNIL KUMAR SINGH, OM PRAKASH YADAV, DHARMENDRA YADAV, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, PROF. RAM SHANKAR, A.T. (NANA) PATIL, Shrirang Appa Barne, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2733

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2018

## GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL UNDER MGNREGS

## 2733.   SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

SHRIMATI SANTOSH AHLAWAT:

DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI OM PRAKASH YADAV:

SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARSWATI:

SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

DR. RAM SHANKAR KATHERIA:

SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been fall in demand for work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) because of lower wage rate and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether delayed and rejected payments lead to less compensation to workers if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government for ensuring timely payments and bringing down the percentage of rejected transactions;
- (c) whether the technological interventions including National Electronic Fund Management  System  (Ne-FMS)  and  Aadhaar  Payment  Bridge  System  (APBS)  are leading to further delay of payments and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Union Government is considering a proposal of indexation of MGNREGS wages to consumer price in rural and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  there  is  inadequate  Grievance  Redressal  System  to  address  the  MGNREGS worker problems and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling Grievances which is under implementation by the States since April, 2012 has failed to address the Grievances of the MGNREGS workers and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government to address the MGNREGS workers problems?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)

(a): No Madam. The persondays generated has increased from 166.21crore in 2014-15 to 234.28  crore  in  2017-18. Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act (MGNREGA) is a demand driven programme. The demand for work itself is influenced by various factors such as rain-fall pattern, availability of alternative and remunerative employment opportunities outside MGNREGA and prevailing unskilled wage rates.

(b): No, Madam. The Ministry along with the States/UTs has been making concerted efforts for  improving  the  timely  payment  of  wages.  States/  UTs  have  been  advised  to  generate  pay orders in time. This has resulted in considerable improvement in the status of timely generation of pay order and leading to improvement in actual time taken to credit wages in the workers account.

(c): No, Madam.

(d): Yes, Madam. A Committee under the chairpersonship of former Additional Secretary, Ministry of  Rural  Development was constituted to study among other  things  the  appropriate index  for  revising  MGNREGA wages.  The  Committee  recommended  using  Consumer  Price Index-Rural instead of the existing CPI-AL for revising MGNREGA Wages every year. The Committee also recommended use of annual average instead of the existing practice of using December month index only.

(e)&(f): The  Ministry,  under  MGNREGA  receives  complaints  of  irregularities,  nonavailability of work etc. , Since the responsibility of implementation of MGNREGA is vested with the State Governments/UTs, all complaints received in the Ministry are forwarded to the concerned State Governments/UTs for taking appropriate action including investigation, as per law.  Detailed  instructions  by  way  of  Standard  Operating  Procedure  (SOP)  for  complaint redressal  have  also  been  issued  to  all  States/UTs.  20  States  and  1  UT  have  formulated Grievance Redressal Rules for  dealing  with complaints.  Steps  have been taken to  strengthen social audit units and appointment of Ombudsmen in the States. State specific reviews of States are also undertaken  from  time  to time. Officers of the Ministry and National Level Monitors also visit various districts to oversee the performance of MGNREGA.

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