Lok Sabha Question No. 207 (STARRED), answered on 2024-08-06
Subject: Implementation of MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Ramprit Mandal

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 207 ANSWERED ON 06/08/2024

## IMPLEMENTATION OF MGNREGS *207 SHRI RAMPRIT MANDAL:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENTbe pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to increase the allocation of funds under MahatmaGandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);
- (b) if so, the details of the proposed increase in the said fund alongwith the justification behindthe same;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to increase the amount of daily wages under theMGNREGS and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the estimated number of additional work days to be generated through the said increasedcorpus of funding;
- (e) whether the Government has also proposed to increase the payments made to the farmersand if so, the details thereof;
- (f) the manner in which the proposed increase in payments is likely to be funded alongwith theexpected impact of the said measure on agriculture sector; and
- (g) whether any monitoring and evaluation system has been put in place for ensuring effectiveutilisation of the increased funds as well as payment?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)

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

## Statement in reply to Parts (a) to (g) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 207 for 06.08.2024

(a)&(b):       Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee wage employment Scheme. Funds release to States/UTs is a continuous process and the Central Government is committed to making funds available to States/UTs for the implementation of the Scheme as per

Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand-driven the demand for work on the ground.

For the Financial Year 2024-25, budget allocation of Rs. 86,000 crores has been  made under  Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, which is the highest-ever allocation under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS at the Budget

Estimate stage for any Financial Year.

Against  an  allocation  of  Rs.  86,  000  crore  in  Financial  Year 2024-25,  total expenditure as on 31.07.2024 is Rs. 43,931.62 crore. Hence, sufficient fund is available to meet the  requirement for fund. However, the Ministry will seek additional funds from the Ministry of Finance as and when required to meet the demand for work on the ground.

- (c):      As  per  Section  6  (1)  of  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment  Guarantee  Act  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA),  2005, the Central  Government specifies wage rates for  beneficiaries.  These rates are determined using the Consumer Price Index for Agricultural  Labour  (CPI-AL).  To  compensate  the  Mahatma  Gandhi beneficiaries against inflation, Ministry of Rural  Development revises wage rates annually based on changes in the CPI-AL, with each State/UT having the option to provide wages higher than the rates notified by the Central Government. State/UT-wise wage rates for unskilled workers  under  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  for  the Financial Year  2023-24 and the current Financial Year 2024-25 are at  Annexure.
- (d):     As  per  the  provision of the Act, States/UTs are requested by the Central Government to send a detailed proposal for the Labour Budget for the upcoming financial year after following due process.

The proposal received from States/UTs is considered by the Empowered Committee under the Chairpersonship of the Secretary, Department of Rural Development, Government of India in the month of  February/March.  The  Committee  also  includes  the  Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary, Rural Development of the  concerned  State/UT  as  member.  After  detailed  discussion "agreed  to"  Labour  Budget  of  a  particular  State/UT  is  arrived  at. This  'agreed  to"  Labour  Budget  is  an  indicative  number  for  better planning,  so  that  work  can  be  provided  against  demand  on  time. However,  the  State  may  always  come  up  with  proposal  for  the revision  of  the  "agreed  to"  Labour  Budget,  at  any  point  of  time during  financial  year,  if  the  performance  of  the  State  exceeds  the "agreed to" Labour Budget.

(e)&(f):         There  is  no  separate allocation of fund for the farmers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. However, eligible farmers and their family members in rural areas can also demand for work under the Scheme after  following  due  procees.   Further,  as  per  para  4(2)  of Schedule  1  of  the  Act,  the  District  Programme  Coordinator  (DPC) shall  ensure  that  at  least  60%  of  the  works  to  be  taken  up  in  a District in  terms of cost shall be for creation of productive assets directly linked to agriculture and allied activities through development of land, water and trees.

Out of total of 266 permissible works, 150 relate to different types  of  durable  agri  and  allied  activities  covering  a  very  large spectrum which are helping the agriculture sector and farmers and providing livelihood opportunities to the beneficiaries against their demand.  Some  of  the permissible activities are all types of plantation,  Construction  of  Dug  well,  Farm  pond,  Micro  Irrigation works (canals) and Cattle Shed.

(g): This Ministry has established a robust monitoring and evaluation framework for the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. This includes  regular  performance  assessments  at  the  National  and State levels, on-ground inspections by central teams, and independent Social Audits. To enhance transparency and accountability,  the  scheme  has  integrated  technological  solutions like geo-tagging of assets, Direct Benefit Transfer, and the National

Mobile  Monitoring  System.  Additionally,  institutional  mechanisms such as State Technical Cells and Ombudspersons have been put in place to oversee the program's implementation. By combining these multifaceted  approaches,  the  Ministry  aims  to  ensure  effective utilization  of  funds,  timely  wage  payments,  and  the  creation  of durable assets in rural areas.

Mahatma Gandhi NREGA mandates wage payments within 15 days of work completion. To ensure timely payments, the government has implemented the National Electronic Fund Management System (Ne-FMS) in all states and 3 Union Territories, formulated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and made Aadhaar  Based  Payment  System  mandatory.  Regular  monitoring, intensive consultations with states, and capturing real-time attendance through the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) are ongoing efforts to improve wage disbursement under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.

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Annexure Annexure  referred  in  reply  to  part  (c)  of  Lok  Sabha  Starred Question No. 207 dated 06.08.2024

| State/UT-wise wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS for   | State/UT-wise wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS for   | State/UT-wise wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS for   | State/UT-wise wage rates for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS for   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| SI. No.                                                                         | States/UTs                                                                      | 2023-24                                                                         | 2024-25                                                                         |
| 1                                                                               | Andhra Pradesh                                                                  | 272                                                                             | 300                                                                             |
| 2                                                                               | Arunachal Pradesh                                                               | 224                                                                             | 234                                                                             |
| 3                                                                               | Assam                                                                           | 238                                                                             | 249                                                                             |
| 4                                                                               | Bihar                                                                           | 228                                                                             | 245                                                                             |
| 5                                                                               | Chhattisgarh                                                                    | 221                                                                             | 243                                                                             |
| 6                                                                               | Goa                                                                             | 322                                                                             | 356                                                                             |
| 7                                                                               | Gujarat                                                                         | 256                                                                             | 280                                                                             |
| 8                                                                               | Haryana                                                                         | 357                                                                             | 374                                                                             |
| 9                                                                               | Himachal Pradesh Non-Scheduled Areas                                            | 224                                                                             | 236                                                                             |
| 9(a)                                                                            | Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Areas                                                | 280                                                                             | 295                                                                             |
| 10                                                                              | Jammu - Kashmir                                                                 | 244                                                                             | 259                                                                             |
| 11                                                                              | Ladakh                                                                          | 244                                                                             | 259                                                                             |
| 12                                                                              | Jharkhand                                                                       | 228                                                                             | 245                                                                             |
| 13                                                                              | Karnataka                                                                       | 316                                                                             | 349                                                                             |
| 14                                                                              | Kerala                                                                          | 333                                                                             | 346                                                                             |
| 15                                                                              | Madhya Pradesh                                                                  | 221                                                                             | 243                                                                             |
| 16                                                                              | Maharashtra                                                                     | 273                                                                             | 297                                                                             |
| 17                                                                              | Manipur                                                                         | 260                                                                             | 272                                                                             |
| 18                                                                              | Meghalaya                                                                       | 238                                                                             | 254                                                                             |
| 19                                                                              | Mizoram                                                                         | 249                                                                             | 266                                                                             |
| 20                                                                              | Nagaland                                                                        | 224                                                                             | 234                                                                             |
| 21                                                                              | Odisha                                                                          | 237                                                                             | 254                                                                             |
| 22                                                                              | Punjab                                                                          | 303                                                                             | 322                                                                             |
| 23                                                                              | Rajasthan                                                                       | 255                                                                             | 266                                                                             |
| 24                                                                              | Sikkim                                                                          | 236                                                                             | 249                                                                             |
| 24 (a)                                                                          | Sikkim (3 Gram Panchayats named Gnathang, Lachung and Lachen)                   | 354                                                                             | 374                                                                             |
| 25                                                                              | Tamil Nadu                                                                      | 294                                                                             | 319                                                                             |
| 26                                                                              | Telangana                                                                       | 272                                                                             | 300                                                                             |
| 27                                                                              | Tripura                                                                         | 226                                                                             | 242                                                                             |
| 28                                                                              | Uttar Pradesh                                                                   | 230                                                                             | 237                                                                             |
| 29                                                                              | Uttarakhand                                                                     | 230                                                                             | 237                                                                             |
| 30                                                                              | West Bengal                                                                     | 237                                                                             | 250                                                                             |
| 31                                                                              | Andaman                                                                         | 311                                                                             | 329                                                                             |
| 31(a)                                                                           | Nicobar                                                                         | 328                                                                             | 347                                                                             |
| 32                                                                              | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu                                        | 297                                                                             | 324                                                                             |
| 33                                                                              | Lakshadweep                                                                     | 304                                                                             | 315                                                                             |
| 34                                                                              | Puducherry                                                                      | 294                                                                             | 319                                                                             |

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