Lok Sabha Question No. 3307 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-16
Subject: Timely Payment under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shashi Tharoor

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3307 ANSWERED ON 16.03.2021

## TIMELY PAYMENT UNDER MGNREGS

## 3307.   DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the current record of timely payment of wages to those employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);
- (b) the details of the measures the Ministry is taking to ensure that every person working under the MGNREGS receives their wages in a timely manner;
- (c) the steps taken to ensure that decrease in budgetary allocation for MGNREGS does not impact timely payment under the scheme; and
- (d) whether the Ministry intends to use new or existing legislation to ensure universal timely payment of wages to all MGNREGS workers, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS)  is  a  demand  driven  wage  employment  guarantee  programme.  During  the  current Financial Year 2021-21 (as on 10.03.2021), around 97.87 % Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) have been generated within 15 days from the date of closure of the Muster Roll.
- (b): The Ministry has taken various steps to ensure timely payment of wages to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. These include:
- (i) Up scaling of National Electronic Fund Management System (Ne-FMS) in 25 States and 3 Union Territories.
- (ii) Intensive consultation with State Governments and other stakeholders to strategize timely payment of wages, verification of pending compensation claims etc.
- (iii) Formulation  of  Standard  Operating  Procedure  for  monitoring  of  timely  payment  and payment of compensation.
- (iv) Video conferences with States/ UTs reviewing the status of timely payment and payment of delay compensation.
- (v) States/UT's have been requested to ensure timely regeneration of rejected transaction and every fund release is tagged with priority release of rejected transaction.
- (vi) States have been requested to ensure correction of invalidate accounts as per information provided by PFMS.

(c): The  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  is  a  demand  driven  wage  employment  guarantee programme. Central Government is committed to making funds available to States/UTs for the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. The Ministry seeks additional fund for Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as and when required for meeting the demand for work on the ground. There is a enhance financial allocation from Rs.61,500 crore at Budget Estimate to Rs. 1,11,500 crore at Revised Estimate in the current financial year 2020-21 under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.

The  Government  of  India  has  allocated  Rs.  73,000  crore  at  Budget  Estimate  for  next financial  year  2021-22  for  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  with  an  increase  of  Rs.  11,500  crore (18.69%) as compared to Budget Estimate for financial year 2020-21.

(d): In order to streamline the system of fund flow and to ensure timely payment of wages, Ne-FMS was implemented in 2016, so far 25 States and 3 Union Territory have implemented it, wherein payment of wages is being credited directly to the bank/post office accounts of Mahatma Gandhi  NREGS  beneficiaries  by  the  Central  Government  through  Direct  Benefit  Transfer (DBT).

Further,  rest  of  the  3  States  Manipur,  Nagaland  and  Goa  and  3  Union  Territories Andaman & Nicobar, Daman & Diu & Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Lakshadweep implementing the programme are under Electronic Fund Management System (eFMS).

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