Lok Sabha Question No. 1827 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-28
Subject: Payment of MGNREGS Wages
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: LADU KISHORE SWAIN, SUKENDER REDDY GUTHA, RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1827

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.12.2017

## PAYMENT OF MGNREGS WAGES

## 1827.   SHRI LADU KISHORE SWAIN: SHRI GUTHA SUKENDER REDDY: SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to increase wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof and the steps taken in this regard during the current financial year;
- (c) whether  committee  on  revision  of  wages  observed  that  wages  paid  under MGNREGS is less than minimum agricultural wages in many States and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  inordinate  delay  is  taking  place  in payment of MGNREGS wages and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether  any  study  has  been  conducted  in  this  regard  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (f) the  steps  taken  or  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  address  the  delay  in payment of wages under MGNREGS which is reported widely in the media?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## (SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)

(a) to (c): The Ministry of Rural Development has constituted a Committee on revision of pay under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The  Committee  observed  that  in  2016-17,  the  MGNREGA  notified  wage  rate  in  17 States/UTs  are  lower  than  the  agricultural  wage  rate  as  given  at Annexure .  MGNREGA wage  rates  are  currently  indexed  to  state-wise  Consumer  Price  Index  for  Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) and based on this index, the wage rates are revised in each financial year for all States/UTs.  The Committee recommended using Consumer Price Index-Rural (CPI-R) instead of CPI-AL.

(d): 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  current  financial  Year  2017-18  (as  on  18.12.2017),  85.21%  (as  on 22.12.2017) payment has been generated within 15 days. The delay in payment of wages are due  to  implementation  issues  in  the  States  which  include  inadequate  staffing,  non-timely recording and reporting of attendance, measurement, data entry, generation of wage list, Fund Transfer Order (FTO), etc.

(e): State Government of Rajasthan has recently commissioned a study titled 'End to End Analysis  on  Delay  Payment  under  MGNREGA'  to  Rajasthan  Grameen  Ajeevika  Vikas Parishad (RAJEEVIKA). The study covered sample of 10 blocks in Rajasthan and identified various  reasons  for  delay  in  payments  which  included  vacant  staff  positions  at  block  and Gram Panchayat level, frequent  transfer  of  BDOs, lack  of  adequate  infrastructure at  block level etc.

(f): 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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| S. No.   |                                   | FY 2016-17                 | FY 2016-17                 |                                                                       |
|----------|-----------------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.   | State/UT                          | MGNREGA Notified wage rate | Minimum Agricultural Wage* |                                                                       |
| 1        | KARNATAKA                         | 224.00                     | 288.66                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 2        | PUNJAB                            | 218.00                     | 277.13                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 3        | ANDAMAN & NICOBAR                 | 230.00 243.00              | 293.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 4        | JHARKHAND                         | 167.00                     | 221.61                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 5        | WEST BENGAL                       | 176.00                     | 216.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 6        | HARYANA                           | 259.00                     | 292.31                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 7        | MIZORAM                           | 188.00                     | 220.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 8        | UTTARAKHAND                       | 174.00                     | 204.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 9        | SIKKIM                            | 172.00                     | 200.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 10       | ANDHRAPRADESH                     | 194.00                     | 218.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 11       | TELANGANA                         | 194.00                     | 218.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 12       | MADHYAPRADESH                     | 167.00                     | 187.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 13       | DAMANANDDIU                       | 192.00                     | 209.80                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 14       | RAJASTHAN                         | 181.00                     | 197.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 15       | BIHAR                             | 167.00                     | 177.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 16       | HIMACHAL PRADESH                  |                            | 180.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
|          | Non-Schedule Areas Schedule Areas | 170.00 213.00              |                            | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 17       | MEGHALAYA                         | 169.00                     | 170.00                     | 17 States/UTs have lower MGNREGA Wages compare to                     |
| 18       | ARUNACHAL PRADESH                 | 172.00                     | 170.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 19       | GOA                               | 229.00                     | 225.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 20       | CHHATTISGARH                      | 167.00                     | 157.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 21       | UTTAR PRADESH                     | 174.00                     | 161.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 22       | LAKSHADWEEP                       | 220.00                     | 200.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 23       | TRIPURA                           | 172.00                     | 150.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 24       | DADRA&NAGAR HAVELI                | 208.00                     | 185.40                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 25       | JAMMU &KASHMIR                    | 173.00                     | 150.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 26       | ODISHA                            | 174.00                     | 150.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 27       | KERALA                            | 240.00                     | 200.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 28       | ASSAM                             | 182.00                     | 120.30                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 29       | GUJARAT                           | 188.00                     | 120.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 30       | MANIPUR                           | 197.00                     | 122.10                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 31       | PUDUCHERRY                        | 203.00                     | 115.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 32       | MAHARASHTRA                       | 192.00                     | 100.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 33       | NAGALAND                          | 172.00                     | 80.00                      | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |
| 34       | TAMILNADU                         | 203.00                     | 100.00                     | 17 States/UTs have higher MGNREGA Wages compare to Agricultural Wages |