Lok Sabha Question No. 350 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-19
Subject: Right to Work under MGNREGA
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shashi Tharoor

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 350

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.11.2019

## RIGHT TO WORK UNDER MGNREGA

## 350. DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2006, that aims to guarantee the 'right to work', is fulfilling its unique objectives for the rural poor, especially the landless labourers and small and marginal farmers;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise along with the relevant details of rural and urban unemployment  rates  in  Kerala,  total  number  of  beneficiaries,  districts  covered  under MGNREGA, socio-economic status scale over different districts, heterogeneous works and work age group, and the male and female worker distribution;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor, State/UT-wise;
- (d) whether  any  significant steps are being taken to address the  anomalies  on  the implementation side, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the  noteworthy  role  of  community-based  organizations  and  women  self-help  groups under MGNREGA in Kerala?

## ANSWER

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

(a): The  mandate  of  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA),  2005  is  to  provide  at  least  100  days  of  wage  employment  in  a financial year to every rural household whose adult member volunteers to do unskilled manual work. An additional 50 days of wage employment is provided over and above 100 days in the notified drought affected areas or natural calamity areas in the country on recommendation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. The Ministry also mandates the provision of additional 50 days of wage employment to every Scheduled Tribe Household in a forest area, provided that these households have no other private property except for the land rights provided under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

(b)&(c): As per the information shared by State Government of Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi NREGS  is  implemented  in  all  14  districts  of  Kerala.  Till  date,  35.97  lakh  households  are registered under the Scheme, out of which 19.41 lakh households are active workers. During the current FY 2019-20 (as on 13.11.2019), 14.28 lakh individuals from 12.66 lakh households have received employment under the Scheme and 421.66 lakh persondays have been generated under the Scheme during the period. District-wise details of beneficiaries under the Scheme are given at Annexure.

(d): National Level Monitors and officers of the Ministry visit States at regular interval to review implementation of the programme. After the field visits, the findings/shortcomings and recommendations  are  shared  with  the  States  for  appropriate  action  at  their  end.  Performance Review  Committee  meetings  of  the  Ministry,  Common  Review  Missions  and  regular  video conferencing  on  specific  issues  are  also  important  tools  of  Monitoring.  The  State  has  also initiated  the  process  of  appointment  of  Ombudspersons  and  State  Quality  Monitors  for  the purpose.

(e): The  State Government  of Kerala is utilizing the potential  of  community-based organisations and women self-help groups in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. Kudumbashree, the community-based, organisation formed by the State Government of Kerala has  played  a  key  role  in  mobilizing  people  of  rural  areas  for  participating  in  the  Scheme. Presently, Kudumbashree Area Development Society Executive Committee Members also act as Mates under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.

## Annexure referred in reply to parts (b)&(c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.350 dated 19.11.2019

| Districts           |   Registered House holds |   No. of active House holds |   Total women active workers |   Total Men active workers |   Total active workers |   Households provided employment in FY 2019 -20 |   Persons provided employment in FY 2019-20 |   Persondays generated in FY 2019-20 |
|---------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|------------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
| ALAPPUZHA           |                   275142 |                      173535 |                       180237 |                      25408 |                 205645 |                                          127613 |                                      140774 |                              3616363 |
| ERNAKULAM           |                   236787 |                      113109 |                       108295 |                      26772 |                 135067 |                                           71960 |                                       79685 |                              2499677 |
| IDUKKI              |                   197062 |                      137675 |                       130923 |                      74676 |                 205599 |                                           99322 |                                      135122 |                              3613794 |
| KANNUR              |                   219539 |                      110658 |                       107486 |                      19950 |                 127436 |                                           69540 |                                       74752 |                              2283383 |
| KASARGOD            |                   156520 |                       89273 |                        82585 |                      25042 |                 107627 |                                           58045 |                                       64885 |                              2099628 |
| KOLLAM              |                   361472 |                      200938 |                       188997 |                      48898 |                 237895 |                                          128477 |                                      143689 |                              4131082 |
| KOTTAYAM            |                   193855 |                       83598 |                        81296 |                      18367 |                  99663 |                                           57348 |                                       63867 |                              2450036 |
| KOZHIKODE           |                   304246 |                      186690 |                       171835 |                      42700 |                 214535 |                                          120490 |                                      131335 |                              4386252 |
| MALAPPURAM          |                   325748 |                      133491 |                       117929 |                      38863 |                 156792 |                                           74235 |                                       80842 |                              2726056 |
| PALAKKAD            |                   355412 |                      211044 |                       203774 |                      45264 |                 249038 |                                          140386 |                                      157049 |                              3933236 |
| PATHANAMTHITTA      |                   143136 |                       67222 |                        67922 |                      14071 |                  81993 |                                           48359 |                                       54219 |                              1826543 |
| THIRUVANANTHAPURA M |                   398444 |                      227514 |                       222834 |                      43716 |                 266550 |                                          141796 |                                      157652 |                              3464723 |
| THRISSUR            |                   284117 |                      122765 |                       117936 |                      23417 |                 141353 |                                           75742 |                                       82132 |                              2882775 |
| WAYANAD             |                   145519 |                       83777 |                        75712 |                      31608 |                 107320 |                                           53288 |                                       62119 |                              2252947 |
| Total               |                  3596999 |                     1941289 |                      1857761 |                     478752 |                2336513 |                                         1266601 |                                     1428122 |                             42166495 |

The main works taken up are single unit toilets, irrigation open wells, cattle shed for individuals and cement concrete roads, earthen contour bunds, water absorption trench, stone bund, recharge pits, renovation of community ponds etc. for community.

Unemployment  rate  (under  Usual  Principle  Status  approach)  in  Kerala  as  per  the  Kerala  State Economic Review 2018 is as follows:

| Rural   | Rural   | Rural   | Urban   | Urban   | Urban   | Total   | Total   | Total   |
|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
| Male    | Female  | Total   | Male    | Female  | Total   | Male    | Female  | Total   |
| 4.3     | 24.4    | 10.4    | 3.3     | 19.7    | 8.1     | 4.1     | 23.2    | 9.8     |

The report on district wise age group of workers that were employed during Financial Year 201920 is given below:

|                | Total Landless Casual Labour as   | Total employed   | Age group   | Age group   | Age group   | Age group   | Age group   | Age group Greater than 80   |
|----------------|-----------------------------------|------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------------------|
| Districts      | per SECC                          |                  | 18-30       | 31-40       | 41-50       | 51-60       | 61-80       |                             |
| ALAPPUZHA      | 85279                             | 140774           | 2127        | 21994       | 44444       | 42349       | 29379       | 481                         |
| ERNAKULAM      | 72090                             | 79685            | 915         | 7485        | 21256       | 27055       | 22571       | 403                         |
| IDUKKI         | 45619                             | 135122           | 5705        | 21519       | 36517       | 37858       | 32749       | 774                         |
| KANNUR         | 53680                             | 74752            | 908         | 9261        | 21852       | 23564       | 18912       | 255                         |
| KASARGOD       | 29930                             | 64885            | 1263        | 11772       | 21167       | 18521       | 12004       | 158                         |
| KOLLAM         | 81952                             | 143689           | 3971        | 26606       | 44397       | 40502       | 27703       | 510                         |
| KOTTAYAM       | 56887                             | 63868            | 707         | 8046        | 20102       | 20709       | 14054       | 250                         |
| KOZHIKODE      | 98436                             | 131339           | 1397        | 22365       | 42023       | 37991       | 26978       | 585                         |
| MALAPPURAM     | 185148                            | 80842            | 1805        | 13551       | 25353       | 23568       | 16236       | 329                         |
| PALAKKAD       | 168960                            | 157049           | 4541        | 28523       | 45251       | 43076       | 34971       | 687                         |
| PATHANAMTHITTA | 45523                             | 54222            | 817         | 7937        | 17070       | 16955       | 11278       | 165                         |

| THIRUVANANTHAPURAM                | 120205   | 157652   |     3776 |     25005 |     44664 |     47557 |     36054 |     596 |
|-----------------------------------|----------|----------|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------|
| THRISSUR                          | 118584   | 82133    |  1052    |   8364    |  22363    |  27194    |  22656    |  504    |
| WAYANAD                           | 45268    | 62119    |  3150    |  13872    |  19891    |  15313    |   9712    |  181    |
| Total                             | 1207561  | 1428131  | 32134    | 226300    | 426350    | 422212    | 315257    | 5878    |
| Percentage against total employed |          |          |     2.25 |     15.85 |     29.85 |     29.56 |     22.07 |    0.41 |

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