Lok Sabha Question No. 4542 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-23
Subject: MGNREGS in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: K. Shanmuga Sundaram

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4542

ANSWERED ON 23.03.2021

## MGNREGS IN TAMIL NADU

## 4542.   SHRI SHANMUGA SUNDARAM K.:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the percentage of work done in various categories under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Tamil Nadu State;
- (b) whether the Government has any proposal to make it mandatory that 60% of works in a district under the MGNREGS should be linked to agriculture;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the monitoring mechanism to be adopted for supervision over the implementation of the guidelines and safeguarding the asset creation; and
- (e) the steps being taken by the Ministry so that the stress on 60% minimum expenditure on farm related activity will not discourage other work?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (a)      The  percentage  of  completed  and  ongoing  works  in  four  categories  under  Schedule  I  of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA) in the State of Tamil Nadu for Financial Year (FY) 2020-21 as on 20.03.2021 is given below:

| Work Category                 | Category A: Public works relating to Natural Resources Management   | Category B: Community Assets or Individual assets for vulnerable sections   | Category C: Common Infrastructure   | Category D: Rural Infrastructu re   |
|-------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| Percentage of completed works | 28.45%                                                              | 21.95%                                                                      | 0.19%                               | 49.42%                              |
| Percentage of ongoing works   | 30.94%                                                              | 25.89%                                                                      | 0.18%                               | 42.99%                              |

(b)  &  (c)    Para  4  (2)  of  the  Schedule  1  of  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA provides that ' The District Programme Coordinator shall ensure that at least 60% of the works to be taken up in a district in terms of cost shall be for creation of productive assets directly linked to agriculture and allied activities through development of land, water and trees.'

In  the  current  FY  2020-21(as  on  20.03.2021),  the  expenditure  on  Agriculture  and  Allied Activities is 66.81% at National level and 80.65% in the State of Tamil Nadu.

(d) & (e)  The responsibility of implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is vested with the Government of States /UTs (including State of Tamil Nadu). The Ministry has a comprehensive system of monitoring and review mechanism for implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. The  Ministry  regularly  reviews  the  performance  of  the  implementation  of  Mahatma  Gandhi NREGS in States/UTs through various media viz., Mid-Term Review, Labour Budget meetings, Labour Budget Revision meetings, virtual conference meetings. Central Employment Guarantee Council and State Employment Guarantee Councils periodically monitor implementation of the programme.  National Level Monitors, Common Review Missions and Officers of the Ministry visit States/UTs at regular interval to review implementation of the programme. After the field visits,  the  findings/shortcomings  and  recommendations  are  shared  with  the  States/UTs  for appropriate action at their end. Auditing Standards have been issued and States/UTs have been advised  to  establish  independent  Social  Audit  Units,  conduct  Social  Audit  as  per  Audit  of Scheme  Rules,  training  of  Village  resource  persons  for  conducting  Social  Audit  etc.  Internal Audit Teams of the Department also conduct regular audit. Steps have been taken to strengthen transparency  and  accountability  which  include  geo-tagging  of  assets,  Direct  Benefit  Transfer (DBT), National electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS), Aadhar Based Payment System (ABPS), Software for Estimate Calculation using Rural rates for Employment (SECURE) and appointment  of  Ombudsperson  in  every  district  of  States/UTs.  State  specific  reviews  of States/UTs are also undertaken from time to time.

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