Lok Sabha Question No. 1848 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-03
Subject: Unemployment Allowance in MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Abdul Majeed Ariff, D.K. Suresh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1848

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.03.2020

## UNEMPLOYMENT ALLOWANCE IN MGNREGS

## 1848.   ADV. A.M. ARIFF: SHRI D.K. SURESH:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  unemployment  allowance  rules  under  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have not been notified in some States;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the number of workers who have not been provided unemployment allowance as per their entitlement indicating the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether some States have not provided 100 days job to registered workers during the last three years;
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (f) whether the Government has taken any steps to ensure the provision of 100 working days under MGNREGS to all households in the country, if so, the details thereof; and
- (g) whether the Government has made any additional provision of funds in this regard and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (c): As per Section 7 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act,  2005  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA),  unemployment  allowance  is  payable  in  case  an applicant  is  not  provided  employment  within  15  days  of  receipt  of  his  application  seeking employment or from the date on which employment has been sought in case of an advance application, whichever is later.  The Section also provide that no such rate shall be less than one-fourth of the wage rate for the first thirty days during the financial year and not less than once-half of the wage rated for the remaining period of the financial year. As per provision of the  Act,  the  unemployment  allowance  is  to  be  paid  by  the  States.  As  per  information uploaded by the States in Management Information System (MIS), Rs. 0.12 lakh has been paid  as  unemployment  allowance  in  the  FY  2019-20  (as  on  02.03.2020)  by  the  State Governments to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) workers.

(d)  to  (f):  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS is  a  demand driven  wage  employment programme. It provides livelihood security i.e., fall back option for livelihood for the rural households when no better employment opportunity is available. The demand for work is influenced by various factors such as rain-fall, availability of alternative and remunerative employment opportunities outside Mahatma Gandhi NREGS etc.  During the last three years, the number of households provided with 100 days of employment, State-UT wise is at Annexure.

(g):  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  is  a  demand  driven  wage  employment  programme.   Fund release to States/UTs under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a continuous and dynamic process and Central Government is committed to making funds available keeping in view the demand for  work.  The  Ministry  seeks  additional  fund  for  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  as  and  when required for meeting the demand for work on the ground. In the Financial Year 2019-20, the budget  provision  at  Budget  Estimate  (BE)  stage  was  Rs.60,000  crore.   Due  to  increase  in demand, the Ministry requested  for additional  budget  allocation.  The  budget  provision  has now been enhanced to Rs.71001.81 crore at the Revised Estimate (RE) stage.

Annexure referred  in  reply  to  parts  (d)  to  (f)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question No.1848 dated 03.03.2020

(

figures in lakh

)

| States/UTs            | Households completed 100 days of employment   | Households completed 100 days of employment   | Households completed 100 days of employment   |
|-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| States/UTs            | 2016-17                                       | 2017-18                                       | 2018-19                                       |
| 1ANDHRA PRADESH       | 5.801                                         | 5.945                                         | 8.674                                         |
| 2ARUNACHAL PRADESH    | 0.000                                         | 0.000                                         | 0.003                                         |
| 3ASSAM                | 0.113                                         | 0.109                                         | 0.184                                         |
| 4BIHAR                | 0.142                                         | 0.156                                         | 0.246                                         |
| 5CHHATTISGARH         | 1.729                                         | 3.235                                         | 4.284                                         |
| 6GUJARAT              | 0.082                                         | 0.112                                         | 0.341                                         |
| 7HARYANA              | 0.025                                         | 0.039                                         | 0.038                                         |
| 8HIMACHAL PRADESH     | 0.111                                         | 0.141                                         | 0.703                                         |
| 9JAMMU AND KASHMIR    | 0.323                                         | 0.360                                         | 0.376                                         |
| 10JHARKHAND           | 0.371                                         | 0.575                                         | 0.260                                         |
| 11KARNATAKA           | 1.963                                         | 0.300                                         | 2.114                                         |
| 12KERALA              | 1.132                                         | 1.174                                         | 4.415                                         |
| 13MADHYA PRADESH      | 1.409                                         | 1.347                                         | 0.768                                         |
| 14MAHARASHTRA         | 1.678                                         | 2.015                                         | 1.924                                         |
| 15MEGHALAYA           | 0.865                                         | 1.150                                         | 1.609                                         |
| 16MIZORAM             | 0.565                                         | 0.000                                         | 0.817                                         |
| 17NAGALAND            | 0.002                                         | 0.001                                         | 0.000                                         |
| 18ODISHA              | 0.357                                         | 0.681                                         | 0.472                                         |
| 19PUNJAB              | 0.035                                         | 0.095                                         | 0.068                                         |
| 20RAJASTHAN           | 4.272                                         | 2.281                                         | 5.884                                         |
| 21SIKKIM              | 0.084                                         | 0.035                                         | 0.047                                         |
| 22TAMIL NADU          | 13.207                                        | 1.502                                         | 2.597                                         |
| 23TELANGANA           | 1.745                                         | 2.035                                         | 2.272                                         |
| 24TRIPURA             | 1.161                                         | 0.044                                         | 0.150                                         |
| 25UTTAR PRADESH       | 0.412                                         | 0.425                                         | 0.720                                         |
| 26UTTARAKHAND         | 0.255                                         | 0.218                                         | 0.260                                         |
| 27WEST BENGAL         | 1.995                                         | 5.576                                         | 13.369                                        |
| 28ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR | 0.005                                         | 0.000                                         | 0.002                                         |

Source: www.nrega.nic