Lok Sabha Question No. 1763 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-28
Subject: Payment of Dues under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: C. N. JAYADEVAN

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1763

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.12.2017

## PAYMENT OF DUES UNDER MGNREGS

## 1763.   SHRI C.N. JAYADEVAN:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether only about 32 per cent of payments are credited within the stipulated 15 days of completion of a work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) at present and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the delay compensation is not being paid fully to the workers due to the manipulation of calculating the delay period by the authorities and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the remedial steps being taken by the Union Government in this regard?

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

(a): No Sir. 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. During the FY 2017-18 (as on 26.12.2017), 44% payments are credited in the bank account of workers within 15 days of closure of Muster Roll. The timely payment (Pay order generation) status for the last three years and the current yeas is given below:

| Financial year                                 | 2017-18 (as on 26.12.2017)   | 2016-17   | 2015-16   | 2014-15   |
|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Timely generation and submission of Pay orders | 85.28%                       | 43.64%    | 36.92%    | 26.85%    |

(b): As per the provisions in Schedule-II of the Act, wage seekers are entitled to receive payment of compensation for the delay, at the rate of 0.05% of the unpaid wages per day for the  duration  of  delay  beyond  the  sixteenth  day  of  closure  of  muster  roll.  The  MIS  in NREGASoft  automatically  calculates  the  compensation  amount.  The  Programme  Officer (PO) has been authorised to verify the claims. Upon approval, the payment of compensation for delay in payment of wages are to be made upfront by the State Government.  As reported by the State Governments, a sum of Rs.75.89 crore has been paid as compensation towards delay in payment of wages, so far.

(c): Efforts have been made by the Ministry to reduce the delay in payment of wages to the MGNREGA workers viz., timely release of funds, payment through National Electronic Fund  Management  System (NeFMS)  for  direct  payment  of  wages  into  workers  account, issued  guidelines  for  monitoring  of  timely  payment  and  payment  of  delay  compensation, enabling  appropriate  provisions  in  NREGASoft  to  monitor  timely  payment  of  wages  and payment  of  delay  compensation.    The  Ministry  is  in  constant  engagement  with  the  State Governments/  UTs  through  review  meetings,  video  conferences,  Mid  Term  Review,  SMS based monitoring etc.

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