Lok Sabha Question No. 2354 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-03
Subject: Scheduled Caste Beneficiaries under MGNREGA in West Bengal
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Jayanta Kumar Roy

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2354

ANSWERED ON 03/08/2021

## SCHEDULED CASTE BENEFICIARIES UNDER MGNREGA IN WEST BENGAL

## 2354.   DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Scheduled Caste beneficiaries under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in North Bengal is less compared to other States;
- (b) if so, the number of Scheduled Caste households provided employment under the Scheme in Jalpaiguri and other districts of the North Bengal;
- (c) whether large number of Scheduled Caste people are still not covered under the scheme in Jalpaiguri; and
- (d) if so, the details of steps taken/being taken by the Government to expand the coverage of Schedule Caste persons under the scheme in Jalpaiguri constituency?

## 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. In the current financial year 2021-22 (as on 31.07.2021), 28% Scheduled Caste households of workers have worked in West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS against their demand for work.

As  per  Para  5  of  Schedule  I  of  the  Act  the  Works  creating  individual  assets  shall  be prioritized on land or homestead owned by households belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The  details of Scheduled  Caste  households  provided employment  in  districts of Alipurduar,  Coochbehar,  Darjeeling,  Dinajpur  Dakshin,  Dinajpur  Uttar,  Jalpaiguri,  Kalimpong and  Malda  of  West  Bengal  under  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  during  the  previous  financial year and current financial year 2021-22 (as on 31.07.2021) is given at Annexure.

- (d): Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  is  a  demand  driven  scheme  with  bottom  up  planning.  The works  are  identified,  approved  &  prioritized,  out  of  shelf  of  works  by  the  Gram  Panchayat, recommended by Gram Sabha in each States/UTs (including State of West Bengal) as per the

provision of the Mahatma Gandhi NREG Act. Accordingly, the works are approved and taken up by Gram Panchayat as per the demand.

The households can register themselves under the Act and seek employment at multiple fora including the Gram Panchayat. The field authorities have been instructed to organize Rojgar Diwas at least once every month for covering willing households.

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.  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  for  a  viz.,  Mid-Term Review, Labour Budget meetings, Labour Budget Revision meetings, Programme Review meetings. 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) All grievances/ complaints  received  in the Ministry are forwarded  to  the concerned States/Uts for taking appropriate action including investigation, as per law.
- (v) 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.

These implementation, monitoring and accountability measures ensure that aspirations of individuals are met within schematic framework.

******

Annexure referred in reply  to  parts  (a)  to  (d)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.2354  dated 03.08.2021.

| The details of Scheduled Caste households provided employment in districts of Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Dinajpur Dachshund, Dinajpur Uttar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Malda of West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the previous financial year and current financial year 2021-22.   | The details of Scheduled Caste households provided employment in districts of Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Dinajpur Dachshund, Dinajpur Uttar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Malda of West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the previous financial year and current financial year 2021-22.   | The details of Scheduled Caste households provided employment in districts of Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Dinajpur Dachshund, Dinajpur Uttar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Malda of West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the previous financial year and current financial year 2021-22.   | The details of Scheduled Caste households provided employment in districts of Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Dinajpur Dachshund, Dinajpur Uttar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Malda of West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the previous financial year and current financial year 2021-22.   | The details of Scheduled Caste households provided employment in districts of Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Dinajpur Dachshund, Dinajpur Uttar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Malda of West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the previous financial year and current financial year 2021-22.   | The details of Scheduled Caste households provided employment in districts of Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Dinajpur Dachshund, Dinajpur Uttar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Malda of West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the previous financial year and current financial year 2021-22.   | The details of Scheduled Caste households provided employment in districts of Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Dinajpur Dachshund, Dinajpur Uttar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Malda of West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the previous financial year and current financial year 2021-22.   | The details of Scheduled Caste households provided employment in districts of Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Dinajpur Dachshund, Dinajpur Uttar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Malda of West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the previous financial year and current financial year 2021-22.   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 2020-21                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 2020-21                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 2020-21                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 2021-22 (as on 31.07.2021)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2021-22 (as on 31.07.2021)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2021-22 (as on 31.07.2021)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Sl. No                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Households provided employment                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | Households provided employment                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | Households provided employment                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | Households provided employment                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | Households provided employment                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | Households provided employment                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Sl. No                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Total                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | SC                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | %age                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Total                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | SC                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | %age                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| 1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | ALIPURDUAR                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 272794                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 74973                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 27%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 214496                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 53728                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 25%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| 2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | COOCHBEHAR                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 505451                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 263151                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 52%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 263182                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 122778                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 47%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| 3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | DARJEELING                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 109723                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 8435                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 8%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 51302                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 3783                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 7%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 4                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | DINAJPUR DAKSHIN                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | 131643                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 34407                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 26%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 75984                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 18234                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 24%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| 5                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | DINAJPUR UTTAR                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | 215009                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 51873                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 24%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 126569                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 28925                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 23%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| 6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | JALPAIGURI                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 324648                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 126556                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 39%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 203751                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 76553                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 38%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| 7                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | KALIMPONG                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 52834                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 3632                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 7%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 25997                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 1861                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 7%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 8                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | MALDA                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 435015                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 80957                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 19%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 156895                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 23914                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 15%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |

Source: Management Information System