Lok Sabha Question No. 3446 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-16
Subject: Enhancing Scope of MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Pritam Gopinath Munde

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3446 ANSWERED ON 16.03.2021

## ENHANCING SCOPE OF MGNREGS

## 3446.   DR. PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is a lot of scope and potential for taking up works under Mahatma Gandhi National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS)  which  would  not  only benefit farmers but also help in creation of assets;
- (b) if  so,  whether  the  Union  Government  has  identified  such  works  to  be  done  under MGNREGS;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  reviewed  the  implementation  of  MGNREGS,  drinking water schemes and other works recently and if so, the outcome thereof; and
- (e) the instructions/guidelines issued by the Union Government regarding the implementation of schemes under MGNREGS to the officials to evince keen interest in implementing the scheme and increase the target for creation of mandays?

## ANSWER

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

(a)to(c):  All assets permitted under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS are of durable nature and a large number of permissible activities support the agriculture sector and farmers. Under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, there are 262 combinations of works which are permissible. Of this, 164 works are  related  to  agriculture  and  allied  activities  and  these  works  are  in  the  line  with  objective (creation of durable assets) of Act. There are necessary provisions under para 5 of the Schedule-I of the Act, for works for small /marginal farmers under the Act like:

(i)  Individual assets can be created on the own lands in which such farmers can also work and will be entitled to get wages also as per the notified wage rate of the States/UTs.

(ii) The works that are permissible for such farmers on their own land are: land development, farm pond, dug wells, other water harvesting structures, horticulture, sericulture, plantation, farm  forestry,  PMAY  (G)  houses  (unskilled  wage  component  of  90-95  days),  cattle  shed, goat shed, poultry shed, piggery shed, fodder trough, fish drying yards etc.

Para 7.3 of Annual Master Circular 2020-21 mentions works directly linked to Agriculture and allied activities as per the Schedule-I of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA and the same is attached as Annexure.

(d)&(e): The Ministry reviews the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the all States/UTs  through  various  review  meetings,  Labour  Budget  meetings,  midterm  reviews  and monitoring visits. Necessary directions and advisories are issued for effective implementation of the  Scheme  as  and  when  required. Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand driven wage employment programme which provide 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.  It  provides livelihood security i.e., fall back option for livelihood for the rural households when no better employment opportunity is available. The 'agreed to' Labour Budget (LB) of the States/UTs has been revised as per the demand from the field to meet the demand of wage employment. Initially total  'agreed  to'  LB  of  about  280  crore  persondays  has  been  revised  to  about  368  crore persondays.

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| Category as per Schedule 1                                                          | Works                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (1)                                                                                 | (2)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| II. Category B: COMMUNITY ASSETS OR INDIVIDUAL ASSETS                               | Improving productivity of lands of households specified in Paragraph 5 of Schedule - I through land development and by providing suitable infrastructure for irrigation including dug wells, farm ponds and other water harvesting structures. Improving livelihoods through horticulture, sericulture plantation, other kinds of plantation and farm forestry; Development of fallow/waste lands of households defined in Paragraph 5 of Schedule - I to bring it under cultivation; Pasture Development / fodder farm; perennial grasses like Stylo, vetiver etc.; Bamboo, Rubber and Coconut Plantation Creating infrastructure for promotion of livestock such as, poultry shelter(brooder house), goat shelter, piggery shelter, cattle shelter and fodder troughs for cattle; Creating infrastructure for promotion of fisheries such as, fish drying yards, storage facilities, and promotion of fisheries in seasonal water bodies on public land; Bio-fertilisers (NADEP, Vermi-composting etc.). |
| III. Category C:COMMON INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING FOR NRLM COMPLIANT SELF-HELP GROUPS | Works for promoting agricultural productivity by creating durable infrastructure required for bio-fertilizers(NADEP and Vermi- composting pits) and post-harvest facilities including pucca storage facilities for agricultural produce;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| IV. Category D: RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE:                                               | (vi)Construction of Food Grain Storage Structures for implementing the provisions of The National Food Security Act (2013);                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |