Lok Sabha Question No. 2265 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-20
Subject: Decentralization of MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Hemant Tukaram Godse, Tirath Singh Rawat

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2265

ANSWERED ON 20/12/2022

## DECENTRALIZATION OF MGNREGS

## 2265.   SHRI HEMANT TUKARAM GODSE: SHRI TIRATH SINGH RAWAT:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is going to decentralize Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) at the grass root level in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise particularly Maharashtra;
- (c) whether diversification will be accorded priority in place of permissible works, if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons for delay; and
- (d) whether the Government has proposed to increase the rate of MGNREGS wages in many States which is much lesser than market rates?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  &  (b):      Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (Mahatma Gandhi  NREGS)  is  a  demand  driven  wage  employment  Scheme  which  provides  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.

Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand driven wage employment scheme with bottom up planning. The works are identified, approved and prioritized out of shelf of work by the Gram Panchayat, recommended by Gram Sabha in each State/UT as per the provision of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA). Accordingly,  the  works  are  approved  and  taken  up  by  Panchayat  as  per  the  demand. The planning of works is done as per the estimated person days to be generated for the work in a financial year at the time of assessment of labour budget.

- (c) As  per  Schedule  1  of  Act,  265  works  are  permissible  under  Mahatma  Gandhi NREGA. As per Section 29 of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, Central Government may add new works in the permissible list of works under Schedule 1 of the Act. Adding new works under Schedule I of the Act is a regular exercise and new works are added on the basis of merit in alignment with focus and objectives of the Act. Also, the list of permissible works is reviewed annually by a Committee of Central Government having different States as member of the Committee.

(d):   As  per  Section  6(1)  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA,  the  Central  Government  may  by notification  specify  the  wage  rate  for  its  beneficiaries.  Accordingly,  the  Ministry  of  Rural Development notifies Mahatma Gandhi NREGA wage rate every financial year for

States/UTs.  To  compensate  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA  workers  against  inflation,  the Ministry of Rural Development revises the wage rate every financial year based on change in Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labour (CPI-AL). The wage rate is made applicable from  1 st April  of  each  financial  year.  However  each  State/UT  can  provide  wage  over  and above the wage rate notified by the Central Government.

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