Lok Sabha Question No. 2552 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-02
Subject: Difficulties Faced by Women Workers under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Manne Srinivas Reddy, Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2552 ANSWERED ON 02/08/2022

## DIFFICULTIES FACED BY WOMEN WORKERS UNDER MGNREGS

## 2552.   SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY:

SHRI KOMATI REDDY VENKAT REDDY:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether women workers are facing various difficulties as there are no creche, water and  other  basic  facilities  at  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) sites which force them to walk kilometres to a water source to fill their water bottles with their limbs ached and thus feel dizzy;
- (b) whether despite meeting the difficult conditions, every worker on the sites complains about getting only about 40 days of work in a year under MGNREGS;
- (c) if so, the details and the facts thereof along with the reasons therefor;
- (d) the corrective steps being taken in this regard;
- (e) whether  in  the  process  the  women  workers  are  treated  as  part-time  construction workers and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (f) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  increase  the  work  days  of  women workers under MGNREGS and if so, the steps taken in this regard; and
- (g) whether such women are ineligible for any legal benefits accruing to them from the Construction Workers' Welfare Board and if so, the details thereof and the remedial steps proposed in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (g):    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. It provides livelihood  security,  i.e.  fall  back  options  for  livelihood  for  the  rural  households,  when  no better employment opportunity is available.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, requires that priority be  given  to  women  in  such  a  way  that  at  least  one-third  of  the  beneficiaries  be  women. Mahatma Gandhi NREG  Scheme  is a gender neutral programme which promotes participation of women by providing wage parity with men, provision of separate schedule of rates of wages for women, facilities for crèche, work-side sheds for children, and child care services.  In  convergence  with  National  Rural  Livelihood  Mission  (NRLM),  women  mates have also been introduced, which again facilitate the participation of women. The Scheme also endeavours to provide works near the residence of the beneficiaries.

Under the scheme, worksite facilities such as drinking water, shed, medicines etc. is to be mandatorily  provided.  Failure  to  provide  this  attracts  penalty  on  the  officials  concerned. Further, the availability of these facilities are checked during inspections and social audits. Other fora for redressal of grievances can also be set in motion on its denial.

The rate of participation of women (women person-days out of total in percentage) in Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  during  the  last  three  financial  years  and  current  financial  year 2022-23 (as on 29.07.2022) is given below:

| Financial Year               | 2019-20   | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   |
|------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Women participation rate (%) | 54.78%    | 53.19%    | 54.54.67% | 56.02%    |

The  average  days  of  employment  provided  per  households  under  Mahatma  Gandhi NREGS during the last three financial year is given below:

| Financial Year                                    |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |
|---------------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Average days of employment provided per household |      48.4 |     51.52 |     50.07 |

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