Lok Sabha Question No. 2413 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-10
Subject: Discrimination Faced by Vulnerable Communities under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2413 ANSWERED ON 10/12/2024

## DISCRIMINATION FACED BY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES UNDER MGNREGS

## 2413. SMT. HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENTbe pleased to state:

- (a) whether Government has taken actions against discrimination faced  by  women  and  poor  people  under  the  schemes  like MNREGS in Punjab and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government monitor compliance with antidiscrimination laws across various sectors;
- (c) the details of outreach programmes  aimed  at educating marginalized groups about their rights, State-wise; and
- (d) the  manner  in  which  community  feedback  mechanisms  to improve  service  delivery  targeting  vulnerable  communities, women and poor people?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b):    Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS)  provides  for  enhancement  of livelihood  security  of  the  households  in  the  rural  areas  of  the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members  volunteer  to  do  unskilled  manual  work.  It  is  a  demand driven wage employment scheme and no discrimination is made on the  basis  of  caste,  religion  and  gender  etc.  However,  in  case  of individual beneficiary works, there is provision for giving priority to certain  categories  such  as  women  headed  households,  Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes etc. Further, as per Schedule II Para 15 of Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Act,  2005,  priority shall be given to women in such a way that at least one-third of the

beneficiaries shall be women who have registered and requested for work.  In  the  current  financial  year  2024-25(as  on  06.12.2024),  the participation of Women in the State of Punjab is 69.6%. As per the information shared by the Government of Punjab, under the Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS), there is no discrimination against women,  and  poor.  Also,  priority  is  given  for  providing  them  work based on the demand on ground under the scheme.

(c):      In  rural  areas,  beneficiaries  are  being  educated  about  their rights  through  initiatives  such  as  Rozgar  Diwas,  Gram  Sabha meetings  and  dissemination  of  awareness  through  IEC  activities such as Wall paintings, Booklets and informative Job Cards.

(d):     People  from  villages  actively  participate  in  Gram  Sabha meetings,  programs/events  to  give  their  feedback  and  also  share the issues being faced by them in Rozgar Diwas, which is scheduled on the last Friday of every month. Further, there is a comprehensive monitoring  mechanism for redressal of grievances of beneficiaries under  Mahatma   Gandhi  NREGS,  which  includes  (i)  registration  of complaints  on  CPGRAM  portal,  (ii)  raising  of  grievances  during Social  Audit  conducted  at  Gram  Panchayat  level,  (iii)  Lodging  of complaint with Ombudsperson  and  (iv) Lodging  of complaints through JANMANREGA App etc.

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