Lok Sabha Question No. 1833 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-28
Subject: MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY, GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1833

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.12.2017

## MGNREGS

## 1833.   SHRI PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY: DR. GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether a country-wide coalition of Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS)  workers  and  activists  have raised the issue of the steady weakening of the employment security scheme and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether MGNREGS is leading to low employment generation on the ground, with  only  46  days  of  work  being  provided  per  employed  household  on  an average during the last five years against the promised 100 days of work under the Act even though there has been spurt in demand due to distress triggered by droughts, floods and post-demonetisation reverse migration;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the measures being taken  by  the  Union  Government  to  provide  100  days  of  employment  to  the rural poor;
- (d) whether  some  States  including  Andhra  Pradesh,  have  negative  balance  of payment and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the Corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard, State/UTwise?

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

(a): The  Ministry  is  not  aware  about  a  country-wide  coalition  of  Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers and activists raising the issue of the steady weakening of the employment security scheme.

(b) & (c): The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 provides for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural  areas  of  the  country  by  providing  at  least  one  hundred  days  of  guaranteed  wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. 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.

The Government is actively engaged with the State Government in establishing systems that ensure provision of work as per demand. To generate awareness about the provisions of the Scheme  and  to  provide  adequate  employment  opportunities  to  rural  households  under MGNREGS,  all  States/UTs  have  been  requested  to  (i)  initiate  appropriate  Information Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns including wall paintings for wide dissemination  of  the  provisions  of  the  Act,  (ii)  expand  scope  and  coverage  of  demand registration  system  to  ensure  that  demand  for  work  under  MGNREGA  does  not  go unregistered, (iii) prepare plans in a participatory mode and approve them in the Gram Sabha, and (iv) prepare realistic labour budget by the State.

(d): Fund  release  to  States/UTs  is  a  continuous  process  and  Central  Government  is committed to making funds available keeping in view the demand for work. The Ministry releases  funds  to  the  States  based  on  the  basis  of  agreed  to  Labour  Budget  (LB),  opening balance,  pending  liabilities  of  the  previous  year  for  the  financial  year,  if  any,  and  overall performance. During the current FY 2017-18 (as on 22.12.2017), an amount of Rs. 46,483.09 crore has been released to the States/UTs for implementation of MGNREGS.

(e): For timely release of funds, the Ministry has taken steps to streamline the process of planning of realistic Labour Budget. It has issued guidelines on Labour Budget planning with three checklists to the States/ UTs to ensure that the documents prepared and submitted by the State/ UTs are in order.

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