Lok Sabha Question No. 226 (STARRED), answered on 2023-12-19
Subject: MGNREGS in Bihar
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dinesh Chandra Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 226

## ANSWERED ON 19/12/2023

## MGNREGS IN BIHAR

## *226.  SHRI DINESH CHANDRA YADAV:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the amount of funds allocated and released under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) during each of the last five years in the country, State and UT-wise particularly Bihar;
- (b) whether the Government has any proposal to cover agricultural activities in the farms of the Small and Marginal farmers under the said Scheme and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to increase the wages and bring uniformity in wages thereunder;
- (d) whether the Government has paid the outstanding amount to Bihar under this Scheme, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) whether the Government has formulated any plan to link the accounts of small and marginal farmers under the said Scheme and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH)

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

Statement in reply to Parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 226 for 19.12.2023.

(a): Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS)  is  a  demand  driven  wage  employment Scheme. The details of funds allocation at Budget Estimate stage, Revised Estimate stage and fund released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS are given below:

| (Rs. in crore)   | (Rs. in crore)   | (Rs. in crore)   | (Rs. in crore)   |
|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| Year             | Budget Estimate  | Revised Estimate | Release          |
| 2018-19          | 55,000.00        | 61,830.09        | 61,829.55        |
| 2019-20          | 60,000.00        | 71,001.81        | 71,687.71        |
| 2020-21          | 61,500.00        | 1,11,500.00      | 1,11,170.86      |
| 2021-22          | 73,000.00        | 98,000.00        | 98,467.84        |
| 2022-23          | 73,000.00        | 89,400.00        | 90,810.99        |

State/UT-wise  details  of  funds  released  under  Mahatma  Gandhi NREGS during the financial years from 2018-19 to 2022-23 are given at Annexure.

- (b):   No, Sir. However, under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, there are 266 permissible works out of which 150 works are related to Agriculture &  Allied  Activities,  which  in-turn  supports   the  farmers  who  are eligible for benefit of the scheme. As per para 4(3) of Schedule-I of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, "works which are non-tangible, not measurable, repetitive such as, removing grass, pebbles, agricultural operations, shall not be taken up".
- (c):     As  per  Section  6(1)  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA,  the  Central Government  may  by  notification  specify  the  wage  rate  for  its beneficiaries. Accordingly, the Ministry of Rural Development notifies Mahatma Gandhi NREGA wage rate every financial year for States/UTs.  To  compensate  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA  workers against  inflation,  the  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  revises  the wage rate every financial year based on change in Consumer Price Index  for  Agricultural  Labour  (CPI-AL).  The  wage  rate  is  made applicable  from  1st April  of  each  financial  year.  However  each State/UT can provide wage over and above the wage rate notified by the Central Government.
- (d):    Under  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS,  States/UTs  furnish  funds release  proposals  to  Government  of  India.  The  Ministry  releases funds periodically in two tranches with each tranche consisting of one or more installments, keeping in view the 'agreed to' Labour

Budget, demand for works, opening balance, pace of utilization of funds, pending liabilities, overall performance and subject to submission of relevant documents by the States/UTs. Funds  release  to  States/UTs  is  a  continuous  process  and Central  Government  is  committed  to  making  funds  available  to States/UTs for the implementation of the Scheme as per the demand for work on the ground. During the current financial year 2023-24 (as on 11.12.2023) an amount  of  Rs.4,252.73 crore  has  been  released  towards  wage, material &  administrative contingency to the State of Bihar under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. As on 11.12.2023, an amount of Rs. 46 crore is pending liability for  wage  component  and  Rs.  341  crore  is  pending  liability  for material  component  in  respect  of  State  of  Bihar  under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. (e):    Under the scheme, wage payment for unskilled works is made directly  into  the  Bank/Post  office  account  of  the  beneficiaries (which includes small and marginal farmers, if they have worked as an unskilled workers).

******

Annexure  referred  in  reply  to  part  (a)  of  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.  226 dated 19.12.2023.

| 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   | State/UT-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| SI. No.                                                                         | States/UTs                                                                      | 2018-19                                                                         | 2019-20                                                                         | 2020-21                                                                         | 2021-22                                                                         | 2022-23                                                                         |
| 1                                                                               | Andhra Pradesh                                                                  | 657110.67                                                                       | 720472.46                                                                       | 1030509.79                                                                      | 718267.16                                                                       | 798909.30                                                                       |
| 2                                                                               | Arunachal Pradesh                                                               | 19800.64                                                                        | 21020.01                                                                        | 34027.69                                                                        | 45374.43                                                                        | 57757.99                                                                        |
| 3                                                                               | Assam                                                                           | 103097.37                                                                       | 168752.49                                                                       | 260233.46                                                                       | 222026.01                                                                       | 205234.84                                                                       |
| 4                                                                               | Bihar                                                                           | 281936.01                                                                       | 325093.78                                                                       | 728423.57                                                                       | 540736.96                                                                       | 639528.76                                                                       |
| 5                                                                               | Chhattisgarh                                                                    | 289476.07                                                                       | 264031.92                                                                       | 394347.98                                                                       | 389433.98                                                                       | 338355.40                                                                       |
| 6                                                                               | Goa                                                                             | 48.83                                                                           | 216.76                                                                          | 356.91                                                                          | 3.81                                                                            | 511.53                                                                          |
| 7                                                                               | Gujarat                                                                         | 102449.67                                                                       | 74758.23                                                                        | 147812.01                                                                       | 161524.32                                                                       | 169207.36                                                                       |
| 8                                                                               | Haryana                                                                         | 34829.10                                                                        | 33812.58                                                                        | 76355.62                                                                        | 72267.99                                                                        | 37398.62                                                                        |
| 9                                                                               | Himachal Pradesh                                                                | 75090.72                                                                        | 59748.12                                                                        | 94833.37                                                                        | 97575.08                                                                        | 115747.62                                                                       |
| 10                                                                              | Jammu and Kashmir                                                               | 79334.12                                                                        | 118370.31                                                                       | 115231.99                                                                       | 95013.74                                                                        | 105061.12                                                                       |
| 11                                                                              | Jharkhand                                                                       | 149989.63                                                                       | 127292.89                                                                       | 342408.42                                                                       | 306382.91                                                                       | 270863.73                                                                       |
| 12                                                                              | Karnataka                                                                       | 297813.10                                                                       | 546271.17                                                                       | 550099.46                                                                       | 602807.73                                                                       | 622528.20                                                                       |
| 13                                                                              | Kerala                                                                          | 234048.78                                                                       | 352016.95                                                                       | 428677.68                                                                       | 355193.00                                                                       | 381842.70                                                                       |
| 14                                                                              | Madhya Pradesh                                                                  | 452909.74                                                                       | 471894.15                                                                       | 908672.51                                                                       | 847908.76                                                                       | 570213.49                                                                       |
| 15                                                                              | Maharashtra                                                                     | 194892.31                                                                       | 167066.42                                                                       | 160025.70                                                                       | 205645.71                                                                       | 254973.07                                                                       |
| 16                                                                              | Manipur                                                                         | 28698.66                                                                        | 61074.66                                                                        | 130673.85                                                                       | 56310.74                                                                        | 108663.26                                                                       |
| 17                                                                              | Meghalaya                                                                       | 78903.38                                                                        | 102443.59                                                                       | 128416.59                                                                       | 112166.07                                                                       | 111691.95                                                                       |
| 18                                                                              | Mizoram                                                                         | 39783.58                                                                        | 52507.57                                                                        | 59045.38                                                                        | 54891.55                                                                        | 53871.87                                                                        |
| 19                                                                              | Nagaland                                                                        | 19322.98                                                                        | 33044.70                                                                        | 48382.14                                                                        | 56945.51                                                                        | 89744.90                                                                        |
| 20                                                                              | Odisha                                                                          | 216328.30                                                                       | 243278.38                                                                       | 521529.26                                                                       | 568015.17                                                                       | 463836.25                                                                       |
| 21                                                                              | Punjab                                                                          | 57826.49                                                                        | 74886.26                                                                        | 123913.55                                                                       | 125759.36                                                                       | 118213.27                                                                       |
| 22                                                                              | Rajasthan                                                                       | 524471.10                                                                       | 726747.87                                                                       | 892076.25                                                                       | 986774.85                                                                       | 966299.14                                                                       |
| 23                                                                              | Sikkim                                                                          | 9586.17                                                                         | 8269.34                                                                         | 11016.55                                                                        | 11241.97                                                                        | 9255.39                                                                         |
| 24                                                                              | Tamil Nadu                                                                      | 488286.16                                                                       | 555969.31                                                                       | 878881.54                                                                       | 963813.22                                                                       | 970662.48                                                                       |
| 25                                                                              | Telangana                                                                       | 295817.48                                                                       | 222132.13                                                                       | 411121.10                                                                       | 410519.85                                                                       | 298868.14                                                                       |
| 26                                                                              | Tripura                                                                         | 43543.49                                                                        | 73113.77                                                                        | 119498.53                                                                       | 98888.29                                                                        | 92203.45                                                                        |
| 27                                                                              | Uttar Pradesh                                                                   | 530494.79                                                                       | 601701.90                                                                       | 1201410.42                                                                      | 850956.51                                                                       | 1062900.83                                                                      |
| 28                                                                              | Uttarakhand                                                                     | 59004.61                                                                        | 45580.30                                                                        | 88626.63                                                                        | 64203.24                                                                        | 79284.44                                                                        |
| 29                                                                              | West Bengal                                                                     | 718525.61                                                                       | 850761.08                                                                       | 1145405.21                                                                      | 750780.15                                                                       | @0.00                                                                           |
| 30                                                                              | Andaman and Nicobar Islands                                                     | 761.93                                                                          | 583.78                                                                          | 485.89                                                                          | 763.16                                                                          | 960.42                                                                          |
| 31                                                                              | Lakshadweep                                                                     | 15.97                                                                           | 23.82                                                                           | 0.00                                                                            | 30.05                                                                           | 0.00                                                                            |
| 32                                                                              | Puducherry                                                                      | 1461.29                                                                         | 1691.87                                                                         | 2683.69                                                                         | 1307.28                                                                         | 2494.55                                                                         |
| 33                                                                              | Ladakh                                                                          | 0.00                                                                            | 0.00                                                                            | 2248.57                                                                         | 5904.39                                                                         | 6893.31                                                                         |
| 34                                                                              | Dadra and Nagar Haveli                                                          | 484.00                                                                          | 0.00                                                                            | 0.00                                                                            | 0.00                                                                            | 161.87                                                                          |
|                                                                                 | Daman & Diu                                                                     | 0.00                                                                            | 0.00                                                                            | 0.00                                                                            |                                                                                 |                                                                                 |

@Release of funds to the State of West Bengal has been stopped as per provision of Section 27 of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 due to non-compliance of directives of Central Government.