Lok Sabha Question No. 401 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-04
Subject: ABPS under MGNREGA
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Daggumalla Prasada Rao

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 401

## ANSWERED ON 04/02/2025

## ABPS UNDER MGNREGA

## 401.  SHRI DAGGUMALLA PRASADA RAO:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  and  total  number  of  cases  reported  against  the Aadhaar  Based  Payment  System  (ABPS)  in  the  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREG) Scheme and the measures taken by the Government to address the problem;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  noted  concerns  regarding  the issue of fake job cards;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and measures taken to address such issues;
- (d) whether the Government has any data regarding the number of States  that  have  an  ombudsman  to  look  into  the  grievances under the scheme;
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State/District-wise  especially  in Andhra Pradesh; and
- (f) whether  the  Government  has  taken  into  consideration  the request  from  the  beneficiaries  to  increase  the  working  days from 100-150 days, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a): To ensure timely payment of wages to the beneficiaries under  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS and  to  address  the  issues  arising due to frequent changes in bank account numbers of the beneficiaries  and  subsequent  non-updation,  it  was  decided to implement Aadhar Payment Bridge System (APBS). This has been made  mandatory  with  effect  from  1st  January  2024.  Payment

of wages  through  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  (DBT)  mode  has  had positive impact on the livelihood of the beneficiaries as it ensures that the payment reaches directly into the accounts of the intended beneficiaries.  Out  of  the  total  13.41  crore  active  workers,  the Aadhaar seeding of 13.34 crore (99.47%) active workers has already been  completed  (As  on  01.02.2025).   State/UTs  are  continuously being  monitored  by  the  Central  Government  for  achieving  100% Aadhaar Seeding and APBS conversion in NREGASoft. As and when any  issue  is   flagged  by  the  State/UT  or  any  other  stakeholders, same is resolved on priority basis.

(b)&(c): Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS)  is  a  demand-driven  wage  employment scheme and the responsibility of implementation of the scheme is vested with the Government of concerned States/UTs. Updation/deletion of Job Cards is a regular exercise conducted by the  States/UTs.  One  of  the  reasons  for  job  cards  deletion  is  the incidence of  fake job cards. To streamline the process of deletion of  Job cards, Ministry of Rural Development has recently issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) vide letter dated 25.01.2025 to all  States/Union  Territories,  with  clear  guidelines  for  deletion  and restoration  of  job  cards.  The  SOP  ensures  compliance  with  the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS guidelines, promotes transparency, protects  the  rights  of  workers  by  defining  conditions  for  deletion, setting  up  a  grievance  redressal  mechanism,  and  ensure  the settlement of pending liabilities if any before deletion/cancellation.

The  SOP  emphasizes  the  importance  of  due  process,  including the  publication  of  draft  lists  of  job  cards  marked  for  deletion, verification  at  Gram  Sabhas,  and  the  right  of  appeal  for  affected workers. It also mandates the linking of job cards with Aadhaar to eliminate  duplicate  and  fraudulent  entries.  These  measures  are aimed at preventing misuse of job cards while ensuring that genuine beneficiaries are not excluded.  The  Ministry is  committed  to maintaining  the  integrity  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  and  ensuring

that that the benefits of the scheme  reaches eligible rural households.

(d)&(e): The  details  of  the  Ombudspersons  appointed  in States/UTs including Andhra Pradesh,  are given in Annexure.

(f): The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005, is an Act to provide at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial  year  to  every  rural  household  whose  adult  members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

The Ministry mandates the provision of additional 50 days of wage employment  (beyond  the  stipulated  100  days)  to  every  Scheduled Tribe  Household  in  a  forest  area,  provided  that  these  households have no other private property except for the land rights provided under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.

In addition to this, there is a provision for up to additional 50 days of wage  employment  in  a  financial  year  in  drought/natural  calamity affected notified rural areas.

Further, as per Section 3 (4) of the Act, the State Governments may make provisions for providing additional days of employment beyond the period guaranteed under the Act from their own funds.

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Annexure Annexure referred in reply to parts (d) &(e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 401 dated 04.02.2025

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| Status of Ombudsperson in States/UTs ( As on 29.01.2025)   | Status of Ombudsperson in States/UTs ( As on 29.01.2025)   | Status of Ombudsperson in States/UTs ( As on 29.01.2025)   | Status of Ombudsperson in States/UTs ( As on 29.01.2025)   |
|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| SI.No.                                                     | Name of the State                                          | Number of Districts in which MGNREGAs is Operational       | Ombudsperson Appointed                                     |
| 1                                                          | Andhra Pradesh                                             | 26                                                         | 13                                                         |
| 2                                                          | Arunachal Pradesh                                          | 25                                                         | 8                                                          |
| 3                                                          | Assam                                                      | 35                                                         | 25                                                         |
| 4                                                          | Bihar                                                      | 38                                                         | 33                                                         |
| 5                                                          | Chhattisgarh                                               | 33                                                         | 22                                                         |
| 6                                                          | Goa                                                        | 2                                                          | 0                                                          |
| 7                                                          | Gujarat                                                    | 33                                                         | 25                                                         |
| 8                                                          | Haryana                                                    | 22                                                         | 18                                                         |
| 9                                                          | Pradesh                                                    | 12                                                         | 7                                                          |
| 10                                                         | Kashmir                                                    | 20                                                         | 16                                                         |
| 11                                                         | Jharkhand                                                  | 24                                                         | 23                                                         |
| 12                                                         | Karnataka                                                  | 31                                                         | 31                                                         |
| 13                                                         | Kerala                                                     | 14                                                         | 14                                                         |
| 14                                                         | Ladakh                                                     | 2                                                          | 2                                                          |
| 15                                                         | Pradesh                                                    | 52                                                         | 12                                                         |
| 16                                                         | Maharashtra                                                | 34                                                         | 29                                                         |
| 17                                                         | Manipur                                                    | 16                                                         | 15                                                         |
| 18                                                         | Meghalaya                                                  | 12                                                         | 8                                                          |
| 19                                                         | Mizoram                                                    | 11                                                         | 10                                                         |
| 20                                                         | Nagaland                                                   | 11                                                         | 10                                                         |
| 21                                                         | Odisha                                                     | 30                                                         | 22                                                         |
| 22                                                         | Punjab                                                     | 23                                                         | 21                                                         |
| 23                                                         | Rajasthan                                                  | 33                                                         | 33                                                         |
| 24                                                         | Sikkim                                                     | 6                                                          | 1                                                          |
| 25                                                         | Tamil Nadu                                                 | 37                                                         | 37                                                         |
| 26                                                         | Telangana                                                  | 32                                                         | 32                                                         |
| 27                                                         | Tripura                                                    | 8                                                          | 8                                                          |

| 28   | Uttar Pradesh   | 75    | 72   |
|------|-----------------|-------|------|
| 29   | Uttarakhand 13  | 13    |      |
| 30   | West Bengal     | 23 22 |      |
| 31   | Nicobar 3       | 1     |      |
| 32   | and Diu 1       |       | 1    |
| 33   | Lakshadweep 1   | 0     |      |
| 34   | Puducherry      | 2     | 1    |
|      | Total           | 740   | 585  |

The  information  is  based  on  data  available  on  MIS  of  NREGAsoft (www.nrega.nic.in)

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