Lok Sabha Question No. 5005 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-01
Subject: Barefoot Technicians
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri G Kumar Naik

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5005 ANSWERED ON 01/04/2025

## BAREFOOT TECHNICIANS

## 5005. SHRI G KUMAR NAIK:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  total  number  of  Barefoot  Technicians  (BFTs)  currently employed in the country, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has any plans to revise  the  current travel  allowance  of  Rs.  2,000  to  BFTs,  considering  they  are required to use own vehicles and often travel around 20-30 km to  even  60-100  km,  depending  on  the  size  and  number  of panchayats;
- (c) whether the Government is considering the provision of health insurance coverage for BFTs and death compensation for their dependents, particularly when they are involved in longdistance travel;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  considering  extension  of  social security benefits to BFTs, including Employees' State Insurance (ESI) and Provident Fund (PF); and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  any  plans  to  either  remove  the 11-month  contract  renewal  requirement  or  to  extend  the contract  period  for  BFTs  to  provide  greater  job  security  to BFTs?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

- (a): The  Barefoot  Technician  (BFT)  Project  was  launched  by  the Ministry  during  FY  2015-16  and  is  being  implemented  across  20 States in the country. 'Barefoot Technician' is an educated person identified  from  the  local  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA  workers or from among  the  mates/supervisors  and  are  specially  trained  in  civil engineering concepts using a customized training module such that she/he  acquires  required  skills  for  identification  and  estimation  of works, giving mark-out for works in the field and record

measurement  of  the  work  done  in  the  Measurement-Book  of  the Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA.  State-wise  details  of  BFTs  deployed currently is given at Annexure.

(b): The deployment of Barefoot Technicians (BFTs) falls under the purview of the respective State Governments. Each State Government is responsible for formulating necessary guidelines for the deployment of BFTs, clearly outlining the terms of engagement and service conditions.

Para  18  and  20  of  Schedule  II  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005, envisages  that  as  far  as  possible,  employment  shall  be  provided within a radius of five kilometers of the village where the applicant resides  at  the  time  of  applying  and  in  case  the  employment  is provided outside the said radius, the labourers shall be paid ten per additional cent of the wage rate as extra wages to meet transportation and expenses for living.

The responsibility of arranging manpower for the said scheme is of the State Government, Central Government supports  the State Government  in  this  regard  through  allocation  of  funds  for  bearing administrative expenses as per law.

(c)& (d): Para 27 of Schedule - II of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act,  2005  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREG Act, 2005), envisages that 'If a person employed under the Scheme meets  with  death  or  becomes  permanently  disabled  by  accident arising out of and in the course of employment, he or his legal heirs, as the case may be, shall be paid by the implementing agency an ex gratia  as  per  entitlements  under  the  AamAadmiBimaYojana  or  as may be notified by the Central Government'.

Since Mahatma Gandhi NREGS  is not a regular/contractual employment but a fall back option for livelihood for rural households,  when  no  better  employment  opportunity  is  available, workers under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS are not covered under the  Employees'  State  Insurance  (ESI)  scheme.  However,  Mahatma Gandhi  NREGS  workers  can  avail  the  benefit  of  any  Pension, Provident  fund  or  any  other  scheme  being  implemented  by  the Central/State Government, if they are covered under the guidelines of those schemes.

(e): The  State  Government  is  responsible  for  determining  the tenure  and  remuneration  etc.  for  BFTs  in  a  manner  it  deems appropriate.

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Annexure Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (a)  of  LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 5005 dated 01.04.2025.

| State-wise details of BFTs deployed in the country as on 26.03.25   | State-wise details of BFTs deployed in the country as on 26.03.25   | State-wise details of BFTs deployed in the country as on 26.03.25   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| SI. No.                                                             | State/UTs                                                           | No. of BFTs deployed                                                |
| 1                                                                   | Andhra Pradesh                                                      | 635                                                                 |
| 2                                                                   | Arunachal Pradesh                                                   | 68                                                                  |
| 3                                                                   | Bihar                                                               | 966                                                                 |
| 4                                                                   | Chhattisgarh                                                        | 494                                                                 |
| 5                                                                   | Gujarat                                                             | 118                                                                 |
| 6                                                                   | Haryana                                                             | 54                                                                  |
| 7                                                                   | Jharkhand                                                           | 600                                                                 |
| 8                                                                   | Karnataka                                                           | 1587                                                                |
| 9                                                                   | Kerala                                                              | 143                                                                 |
| 10                                                                  | Manipur                                                             | 72                                                                  |
| 11                                                                  | Meghalaya                                                           | 245                                                                 |
| 12                                                                  | Mizoram                                                             | 100                                                                 |
| 13                                                                  | Odisha                                                              | 562                                                                 |
| 14                                                                  | Punjab                                                              | 67                                                                  |
| 15                                                                  | Rajasthan                                                           | 476                                                                 |
| 16                                                                  | Sikkim                                                              | 62                                                                  |
| 17                                                                  | Telangana                                                           | 215                                                                 |
| 18                                                                  | Uttarakhand                                                         | 577                                                                 |
| 19                                                                  | West Bengal                                                         | 673                                                                 |
| Total                                                               | Total                                                               | 7,714                                                               |

Note: In State of Madhya Pradesh, all the BFTs have been deployed under Social Audit Unit. Hence data has been furnished in respect of 19 States only.

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