Lok Sabha Question No. 1457 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-26
Subject: Inclusion of Self Help Group under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dharambir Singh

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1457 ANSWERED ON 26/07/2022

## INCLUSION OF SELF HELP GROUP UNDER MGNREGS

## 1457.   SHRI DHARAMBIR SINGH:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to include the Self Help Groups which are playing a significant role in making women self-reliant in rural areas under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);
- (b) if so, the time by which such Self Help Groups are likely to be included;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to curb corruption in MGNREGS?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c):    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.

As  per  Schedule  I, Para  4(1)  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee  Act  2005,  works  under  the  sub-head  III:  Category  C:  Common   Infrastructure [including for NRLM] compliant Self Help Groups - (ii) Common work-sheds for livelihood activities  of  self-help  groups;  and  sub-head  IV:  Category  D:  Rural  Infrastructure  -  (v) Construction  of  buildings  for  women  self-help  groups'  federations  at  the  village  or  block level are permissible activities.

As per the Schedule I , Para 25, sub-para (b) Self help Groups can be involved for the purpose of  concurrent social audit.

The Cluster Level Federation (CLF) under NRLM has been assigned as Programme Implementing Agency for implementation of plantation (Moringa) work, raising of Nursery (Moringa),  road  side  plantation  and  also  for  facilitation  in  the  Agri-Nutri  garden  works  in convergence with NRLM. The Self Help Group women are also being engaged as 'mate' for the works being taken up under Mahatma Gandhi NREG Scheme.

(d):  The  responsibility  of  implementation  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA  is  vested  with  the Government  of  States/UTs.  The  Ministry  has  a  comprehensive  system  of  monitoring  and review  mechanism  for  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  for  the  proper  implementation  of  the Scheme including curbing corruption under the Scheme. Some of 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 meetings, Labour Budget Revision meetings and  Programme  Review meetings.  Further,  Central  Employment  Guarantee  Council  and  State  Employment Guarantee Councils periodically monitor implementation of the programme.
- ii. 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.
- 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. Internal Audit Teams of the Department also conduct regular audit.
- 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  do  conduct inspections  in  the  requisite  numbers  and  look  into  all  the  relevant  aspects  of  the scheme.
- vii. In addition, Central and State Employment Guarantee Councils, District Development Coordination  and  Monitoring  Committees  (DISHA)  and  also  PRIs  take  up  the monitoring and oversight of the Programme.

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