Lok Sabha Question No. 4009 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Fake Job Cards under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Smt. Geniben Nagaji Thakor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4009 ANSWERED ON 17/03/2026

## FAKE JOB CARDS UNDER MGNREGS

4009. Smt. Geniben Nagaji Thakor:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  total  amount  of  pending  wage  payments  under  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Banaskantha district at present;
- (b) the average delay (in days) in wage payments during the last three financial years;
- (c) whether the cases of fake job cards, fudged muster rolls or fake beneficiaries in the district have come to the notice;
- (d)
- if so, the details thereof along with the action taken thereon;
- whether  any  material  exclusions,  particularly  of  women  and migrant  workers  have  been  done,  due  to  the  Aadhaar-based
- (e) payment system, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government proposes to reinvigorate the demanddriven  and  rights-based  nature  of  MGREGS,  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a):     Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand-driven wage employment scheme. Under the scheme, the wage payments are directly credited by  the  Central  Government  to  the  accounts  of  the  beneficiaries through  the  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  protocol.  Sanctions  for  wage payments are issued daily by the Ministry through the Public Finance Management System (PFMS) based on fund transfer orders received from the States/UTs after following due procedures.

Under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 12.03.2026, an amount of Rs. 114.34 crore is pending liability for the wage component in case of State of Gujarat.

Under the Scheme, in the current financial year 2025-26 (as on 12.03.2026),  an  amount  of  Rs.  810.68  crore  has  been  released  to

Gujarat for wage component. As Sanction for payment of wages are issued  by  Ministry  on  a  daily  basis  through  PFMS  (Public  Finance Management  System),  after  receipt  of  funds  transfer  orders  from States/UTs  after  following  the  due  procedures,  the  fund  release status keeps updating on a daily basis.

Here it is also stated that no direct release of fund from Central Govt. to districts are done under the scheme.

- (b):    Percentage of Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) generated within 15 days  from  the  closure  of  muster  rolls  in  Banaskantha  district  of Gujarat, Gujarat and National level under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the three financial years are given below:

| Financial Years   |   Percentage of FTOs generated within 15 in Banaskantha district of Gujarat |   Percentage of FTOs generated within 15 in Gujarat |   Percentage of FTOs generated within 15 at National level |
|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2022-23           |                                                                       90.59 |                                               94.72 |                                                      92.5  |
| 2023-24           |                                                                       99.72 |                                               99.63 |                                                      97.87 |
| 2024-25           |                                                                       99.92 |                                               99.86 |                                                      97.05 |

(As per NREGASoft)

- (c) & (d):     As per the information furnished by the State Government of Gujarat no such case has come to notice.
- (e):     As per the information furnished by the State Government of Gujarat no such incident occurred.
- (f):          In  December  2025,  Parliament  passed  the  Viksit  BharatGuarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB GRAM-G) Act, 2025. This Act, which will replace the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, 2005, aims to provide 125 days of unskilled wage employment in rural areas of States/UTs.

Further, it is stated that the primary objective of the Viksit BharatGuarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, is to align the rural development framework with the national vision  of  Viksit  Bharat  @2047  by  providing  an  enhanced  statutory wage employment guarantee of one hundred and twenty-five days in each financial year to such rural households whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work, thereby enabling them to  participate  more effectively  in  the  expanded  livelihood  security framework.  As  Viksit  Bharat  G  RAM  G  retains  the  demand  driven nature of the program, the workers are entitled to avail the guarantee of 125 days given under the Act.

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