Lok Sabha Question No. 422 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-19
Subject: Additional Days of Employment under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Kunhalikutty P.K., Rahul Gandhi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.422

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.11.2019

## ADDITIONAL DAYS OF EMPLOYMENT UNDER MGNREGS

## 422. SHRI P.K.KUNHALIKUTTY: SHRI RAHUL GANDHI:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Ministry has received any proposal from the State Government of Kerala for providing  50  additional  days  of  unskilled  manual  work  in  notified  flood  affected districts,  over  and  above  100  mandays  of  work  under  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  any  proposal  for  the  revision  of  labour  budget  under  MGNREGS  has  been submitted by the State Government of Kerala and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether any arrears of wages is pending to Kerala on MGNREGS Scheme and if so, the reasons for the delay in clearing the arrears considering the fact that workers engaged in the  scheme  are  from  the  poorest  segment  of  the  society  and  the  delay  will  adversely effect them?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): Yes,  Sir.  The    Ministry  of    Rural  Development  has  issued  a  notification  dated 01.01.2019 to provide the benefit of an additional 50 days of wage employment per household over and above 100 days in notified flood affected areas of 761 villages in 7 districts of  Kerala under  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (Mahatma  Gandhi NREGS) in the FY 2018-19.

The  Ministry has again issued a notification dated 07.02.2019 to extend the benefits of an  additional  50  days  of  wage  employment  per  household  in  the  flood  affected  areas  of  119 villages in 6 districts of Kerala under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the FY 2018-19. The labour budget of the State was revised from 550 crore persondays to 700 crore persondays in the FY 2018-19. Finally, 975.13 crore persondays were generated. The Ministry has recently received a fresh  proposal  for  providing  additional  50  days  of  employment  over  and  above  100  days  per household in notified flood/landslide affected villages in 13 districts of Kerala. The Ministry has not received any proposal from the State Government for the revision of Labour Budget under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the current financial year.

(d): The Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand driven wage employment programme.  The Ministry  has  released  Rs.2198.96  crore  in  the  FY  2019-20  (as  on  08.11.2019)  to  the  State Government of Kerala for implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. The Ministry releases funds to the States based on the agreed to Labour Budget, opening balance, pending liabilities of the  previous  year  for  the  financial  year,  if  any,  and  overall  performance.  Fund  release  to States/UTs including Kerala is a continuous process and Central Government is committed to making funds available keeping in view the demand for work.

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