Lok Sabha Question No. 348 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-05
Subject: Delay in MGNREGS Wages
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Rahul Gandhi

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 348 ANSWERED ON 05/12/2023

## DELAY IN MGNREGS WAGES

## 348.  SHRI RAHUL GANDHI:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the lack of timely release of funds to the states has impacted job creation under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of funds released during each of the last four years, State-wise;
- (d) the details of additional funds released by the Finance Ministry during the said period;
- (e) the measures proposed to be taken by the Government to address the issue of delay in wage payment due to inadequate fund allocation; and
- (f) whether the Government has assessed the impact of delay in MGNREGS wage payment on rural households and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)&(b):    Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA  is  a  demand  driven  scheme.  This is   a  fall-back  option  in   absence  of  Regular  Employment.  A  total  of 221.60 crore persondays has been generated so far (as on 30.11.2023), which is more than the persondays generated during the same period in the last financial year i.e. 208.74 crore persondays (as on 30.11.2022).

(c):      State/UT-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the financial years from 2019-20 to 2022-23 are given at Annexure.

- (d):     The  details  of  funds  allocation  at  Budget  Estimate  stage, Revised  Estimate  stage  under  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  are  given below:
- (e):      Fund  release  to  the  States/UTs  is  a  continuous  process  and Central Government is committed to making funds available keeping in view  the  demand  for  work.  The  Ministry  seeks  additional  fund  for implementation  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  from  the  Ministry  of Finance as and when required for meeting the demand for work on the ground.
- (f):      No  Sir.   Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  beneficiaries  are  entitled  to receive wage within 15 days of completion of work, failing which they are entitled to get delay compensation as per the provisions of the act. Delay compensation is calculated automatically in NREGASoft.

| (Rs. in crore)   | (Rs. in crore)   | (Rs. in crore)   |
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| Year             | Budget Estimate  | Revised Estimate |
| 2019-20          | 60,000.00        | 71,001.81        |
| 2020-21          | 61,500.00        | 1,11,500.00      |
| 2021-22          | 73,000.00        | 98,000.00        |
| 2022-23          | 73,000.00        | 89,400.00        |

Delay compensation mechanism has been devised to ensure timely generation of fund transfer order (FTO) for wage payment. The delay compensation is paid by the State Government upfront and subsequent recovery is made from defaulting officials.

The  delay  compensation  entitled  to  the  concerned  beneficiary, ensures that beneficiary is fairly compensated for any inconvenience  caused  due  to  the  delay,  and  the  allowances  is paid  in addition to the regular wage payment.

********

Annexure  referred  in  reply  to  part  (c)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  348 dated 05.12.2023.

| State/UT-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the   | State/UT-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the   | State/UT-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the   | State/UT-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the   | State/UT-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the   | State/UT-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| SI. No.                                                                         | States/UTs                                                                      | 2019- 20                                                                        | 2020-21                                                                         | 2021-22                                                                         | 2022-23                                                                         |
| 1                                                                               | Andhra Pradesh                                                                  | 720472.46                                                                       | 1030509.79                                                                      | 718267.16                                                                       | 798909.30                                                                       |
| 2                                                                               | Arunachal Pradesh                                                               | 21020.01                                                                        | 34027.69                                                                        | 45374.43                                                                        | 57757.99                                                                        |
| 3                                                                               | Assam                                                                           | 168752.49                                                                       | 260233.46                                                                       | 222026.01                                                                       | 205234.84                                                                       |
| 4                                                                               | Bihar                                                                           | 325093.78                                                                       | 728423.57                                                                       | 540736.96                                                                       | 639528.76                                                                       |
| 5                                                                               | Chhattisgarh                                                                    | 264031.92                                                                       | 394347.98                                                                       | 389433.98                                                                       | 338355.40                                                                       |
| 6                                                                               | Goa                                                                             | 216.76                                                                          | 356.91                                                                          | 3.81                                                                            | 511.53                                                                          |
| 7                                                                               | Gujarat                                                                         | 74758.23                                                                        | 147812.01                                                                       | 161524.32                                                                       | 169207.36                                                                       |
| 8                                                                               | Haryana                                                                         | 33812.58                                                                        | 76355.62                                                                        | 72267.99                                                                        | 37398.62                                                                        |
| 9                                                                               | Himachal Pradesh                                                                | 59748.12                                                                        | 94833.37                                                                        | 97575.08                                                                        | 115747.62                                                                       |
| 10                                                                              | Jammu and Kashmir                                                               | 118370.31                                                                       | 115231.99                                                                       | 95013.74                                                                        | 105061.12                                                                       |
| 11                                                                              | Jharkhand                                                                       | 127292.89                                                                       | 342408.42                                                                       | 306382.91                                                                       | 270863.73                                                                       |
| 12                                                                              | Karnataka                                                                       | 546271.17                                                                       | 550099.46                                                                       | 602807.73                                                                       | 622528.20                                                                       |
| 13                                                                              | Kerala                                                                          | 352016.95                                                                       | 428677.68                                                                       | 355193.00                                                                       | 381842.70                                                                       |
| 14                                                                              | Madhya Pradesh                                                                  | 471894.15                                                                       | 908672.51                                                                       | 847908.76                                                                       | 570213.49                                                                       |
| 15                                                                              | Maharashtra                                                                     | 167066.42                                                                       | 160025.70                                                                       | 205645.71                                                                       | 254973.07                                                                       |
| 16                                                                              | Manipur                                                                         | 61074.66                                                                        | 130673.85                                                                       | 56310.74                                                                        | 108663.26                                                                       |
| 17                                                                              | Meghalaya                                                                       | 102443.59                                                                       | 128416.59                                                                       | 112166.07                                                                       | 111691.95                                                                       |
| 18                                                                              | Mizoram                                                                         | 52507.57                                                                        | 59045.38                                                                        | 54891.55                                                                        | 53871.87                                                                        |
| 19                                                                              | Nagaland                                                                        | 33044.70                                                                        | 48382.14                                                                        | 56945.51                                                                        | 89744.90                                                                        |
| 20                                                                              | Odisha                                                                          | 243278.38                                                                       | 521529.26                                                                       | 568015.17                                                                       | 463836.25                                                                       |
| 21                                                                              | Punjab                                                                          | 74886.26                                                                        | 123913.55                                                                       | 125759.36                                                                       | 118213.27                                                                       |
| 22                                                                              | Rajasthan                                                                       | 726747.87                                                                       | 892076.25                                                                       | 986774.85                                                                       | 966299.14                                                                       |
| 23                                                                              | Sikkim                                                                          | 8269.34                                                                         | 11016.55                                                                        | 11241.97                                                                        | 9255.39                                                                         |
| 24                                                                              | Tamil Nadu                                                                      | 555969.31                                                                       | 878881.54                                                                       | 963813.22                                                                       | 970662.48                                                                       |
| 25                                                                              | Telangana                                                                       | 222132.13                                                                       | 411121.10                                                                       | 410519.85                                                                       | 298868.14                                                                       |
| 26                                                                              | Tripura                                                                         | 73113.77                                                                        | 119498.53                                                                       | 98888.29                                                                        | 92203.45                                                                        |
| 27                                                                              | Uttar Pradesh                                                                   | 601701.90                                                                       | 1201410.42                                                                      | 850956.51                                                                       | 1062900.83                                                                      |
| 28                                                                              | Uttarakhand                                                                     | 45580.30                                                                        | 88626.63                                                                        | 64203.24                                                                        | 79284.44                                                                        |
| 29                                                                              | West Bengal                                                                     | 850761.08                                                                       | 1145405.21                                                                      | 750780.15                                                                       | $0.00                                                                           |
| 30                                                                              | Andaman and Nicobar Islands                                                     | 583.78                                                                          | 485.89                                                                          | 763.16                                                                          | 960.42                                                                          |
| 31                                                                              | Lakshadweep                                                                     | 23.82                                                                           | 0.00                                                                            | 30.05                                                                           | 0.00                                                                            |
| 32                                                                              | Puducherry                                                                      | 1691.87                                                                         | 2683.69                                                                         | 1307.28                                                                         | 2494.55                                                                         |
| 33                                                                              | Ladakh                                                                          | 0.00                                                                            | 2248.57                                                                         | 5904.39                                                                         | 6893.31                                                                         |
| 34                                                                              | Dadra and Nagar Haveli                                                          | 0.00                                                                            | 0.00                                                                            | 0.00                                                                            | 161.87                                                                          |
|                                                                                 | Daman & Diu                                                                     | 0.00                                                                            | 0.00                                                                            |                                                                                 |                                                                                 |