Lok Sabha Question No. 31 (STARRED), answered on 2021-11-30
Subject: MGNREG Scheme
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: V. Kalanidhi

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 31 ANSWERED ON 30/11/2021

## MGNREG SCHEME

## *31. DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the features of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);
- (b) the details of the funds sanctioned, allocated and utilized under this Scheme within the State of Tamil Nadu during the last three years;
- (c) whether the Government asked the States to create three Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) for  the  MGNREGS  workers  belonging  to  different  castes  and  if  so,  the  reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government is aware about poor remuneration and late payments under this programme after implementation of three FTOs; and
- (e) whether the Government is also aware that the differential payment system has come when  rural  areas  in  the  country  in  particular  have  been  severely  hit  by  two consecutive waves of the pandemic, which led to widespread job losses?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH)

(a) to (e):       A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## Statement  in  reply  to  Parts  (a)  to  (e)  of  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.  31  for 30.11.2021

(a):  The  salient  features  of  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) are detailed at Annexure.

(b):     The  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.  No State/UT-wise (including State of Tamil Nadu) financial allocation is made under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.

The details of funds released by Central Government to the State of Tamil Nadu for the  implementation  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREG  Scheme  and  expenditure  incurred  by  the State during the last three financial years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 is given below:

(Rs. in crore)

| Financial Year                      | 2018-19   | 2019-20   | 2020-21   |
|-------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Central funds released              | 4,951.66  | 5,447.80  | 8,941.25  |
| Expenditure (Including State Share) | 5,766.94  | 5,621.33  | 8,435.02  |

(Source: Management Information System)

(c)  to  (e):        The  category  wise  (SC,  ST  and  Others)  wage  payment  system,  as  made applicable  from  this  current  financial  year,  has  been  introduced  to  accurately  reflect  on ground  flow  of  funds  to  various  population  groups.  Its  further  streamlining  is  being undertaken.

## Annexure  referred  in  reply  to  part  (a)  of  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.31  dated 30.11.2021

- i. Adult members of a rural household, willing to do unskilled manual work, may apply for registration in writing or orally to the local Gram Panchayat.
- ii. The Gram Panchayat after due verification will issue a Job Card free of cost within 15 days.
- iii. The worker has a right to demand and receive work within 15 days of the receipt of the application or the date of the demand in case of advance application, whichever is later, as mandated by the Act.
- iv. In case employment is not provided within fifteen days from the date of registration of the  demand  for  work  or  the  date  from  which  work  has  been  demanded  in  case  of advance  applications,  whichever  is  later,  the  worker  is  legally  entitled  to  a  daily unemployment allowance.
- v. Preparation of Labour Budget (LB) which is an essential annual work plan document that entails planning, approval, funding and project execution modalities.
- vi. The  shelf  of  projects  for  a  village  will  be  recommended  by  the  gram  sabha  and approved  by  the  zilla  panchayat.  At  least  50%  of  works  will  be  allotted  to  Gram Panchayats for execution.
- vii. Permissible  works  predominantly  include  water  and  soil  conservation,  afforestation and land development works.
- viii. A  60:40  wage  and  material  ratio  has  to  be  maintained  at  the  district  level.  No contractors and labour displacing machinery is allowed.
- ix. The Central Government bears 100 percent wage cost of unskilled manual labour and 75  percent  of  the  material  cost  including  the  wages  of  skilled  and  semi-skilled workers.
- x. Social Audit has to be done by the Gram Sabha.
- xi. Grievance  redressal  mechanisms  have  to  be  put  in  place  for  ensuring  a  responsive implementation process.
- xii. All  accounts  and  records  relating  to  the  Scheme  should  be  available  for  public scrutiny.