Lok Sabha Question No. 338 (STARRED), answered on 2021-12-21
Subject: Funds Allocation under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Amar Singh

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 338

ANSWERED ON 21/12/2021

## FUNDS ALLOCATION UNDER MGNREGS

## *338.   DR. AMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  acknowledges  that  the  funds  allocated  for  Mahatma  Gandhi National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS)  being  lower  than  the previous year are causing many States to run into a negative account and if so, the details of the measures taken by the Government to address the delays in payments caused to the workers;
- (b) whether the Government sees merit in the usage of a highly digitized ecosystem for a scheme for a section of the society that might necessarily not have the knowledge of such platforms, thereby making the operations difficult for them and if so, the mechanism in place to address such issues; and
- (c) the details of the MGNREGS funds allocated to the State of Punjab, district-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH)

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

## Statement in reply to Parts (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 338 for 21.12.2021

(a):  The  financial  allocation  under  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) has been increased  in  the  current  financial  year  2021-22 from  previous  financial  year  2020-21  at  Budget  Estimate  stage  from  Rs.  61,500  crore  to  Rs. 73,000  crore.  Recently,  additional  fund  of  Rs.10,000  crore  is  allocated  for  Mahatma  Gandhi NREGS as an interim measure. Further, allocation may be made upon  assessment of demand during the Revised Estimate (RE) stage.

(b):  Under  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS,  wage  payment  is  directly  released  into  the  accounts  of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The electronic Fund Management System (eFMS) was introduced in 2011-12, while its successor National Electronic Fund Management System  (NeFMS)  was  launched  in  2015-16.  It  now  covers  2.69  lakh  GPs  of  the  country. Although NREGASoft was launched in 2006, its transaction based version is in operation since 2012-13  .  Thus,  these  softwares  have  been  in  operation  since  long  and  their  operations  have stabilised.

(c):  No  financial  allocation  is  made  to  any  State/UT  (including  Punjab)  under  the  Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. The details of Central funds released to the State of Punjab under Mahatma Gandhi  NREGS  in  the  last  three  financial  years  and  current  financial  year  2021-22  is  given below:

| Financial Year                        |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 (as on 15.12.2021) |
|---------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------------------------|
| Central Funds released (Rs. In crore) |    598.55 |    776.89 |   1287.86 |                       970.91 |

There is no provision to release funds to districts under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.

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