Lok Sabha Question No. 1108 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-13
Subject: Guidelines for Utilization of MGNREGS Funds
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Khagen Murmu

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1108 ANSWERED ON 13/12/2022

## GUIDELINES FOR UTILIZATION OF MGNREGS FUNDS

## 1108.   SHRI  KHAGEN MURMU:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Union Government has issued any specific guidelines to State Governments for proper utilization of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) funds;
- (b) whether the Government has adopted any process for compliance of the guidelines; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a)to(c):        Guidelines  are  issued  to  the  State/UT  Governments  from  time  to  time.  These Guidelines  are  available  at  the  portal  nrega.nic.in.  The  Main  Guidelines  among  them  are Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Operational Guidelines and Annual Master Circulars, issued from year  2017-18  till  2021-22.  It  is  the  responsibility  of  the  State/UT  Governments  to  ensure compliance  with  these  Guidelines  and  to  the  provisions  of  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA) and the relevant Rules.

The Ministry has a comprehensive system of monitoring and review mechanism for Mahatma Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS).  The important elements of the above framework are listed below:

- i. The Ministry regularly reviews the performance of the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in States/UTs through various fora viz., Mid-Term Review, Labour Budget  Determination  and Revision  meetings,  and  Programme  Review  meetings. Central Employment Guarantee Council and State Employment Guarantee Councils also periodically monitor implementation of the programme.
- ii. National  Level  Monitors,  Common  Review  Missions  and  Officers  of  the  Ministry visit States/UTs at regular intervals to review the 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.
- iii. Auditing  Standards  for  Social  Audit  have  been  issued  and  States/UTs  have  been advised  to  establish  independent  Social  Audit  Units,  conduct  Social  Audit  as  per Audit of Scheme Rules, 2011 and training of village resource persons for conducting Social Audit etc. As per the Audit of the Scheme Rules, the audit of the works in a Gram Panchayat has been made mandatory.  Internal Audit Teams of the Department also conduct regular audits.
- iv. 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.
- v. Steps have been taken for establishment of State Technical Cell at various level for qualitative monitoring and supervision of works under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.
- vi. In  order  to  ensure  higher  level  of  monitoring  and  oversight,  National  Mobile Monitoring  System  and  Area  Officer  App  have  been  introduced.  In  the  former, attendance  of  workers  on  a  particular  work,  where  more  than  20  workers  are employed  is  taken  daily  along  with  a  geo-tagged  &  time  stamped  photograph  of theirs. The latter has been designed to ensure that field officials conduct inspections in the requisite numbers and look into all the relevant aspects of the scheme.
- vii. Transparency and accountability measures like an Ombudsperson for each district, an independent  Director  for  the  Social  Audit  Unit,  and  timely  compliance  of  Internal Audit Paras are some of the conditions for the funds release.
- viii. NMMS  Whatsapp  Group have been created at every Gram Panchayat for dissemination of real time attendance to Public Representative for vigilant monitoring.

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