Lok Sabha Question No. 189 (STARRED), answered on 2016-03-10
Subject: Changes under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: P.P. CHAUDHARY, DILIP KUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPAERTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 189

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2016

## CHANGES UNDER MGNREGS

## *189. SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY:

## SHRI DILIPKUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of works permitted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme(MGNREGS);
- (b) whether  the  Government  has recently  made  certain  changes  in MGNREGS  and inco rporated more items of works, if so, the details thereof along with the road map prepared in this regard;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes to  link  MGNREGS  with  its  other  flagship programmes, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the  steps  taken  by  the  G overnment for  better  and  effective  implementation  of the scheme in the country?

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

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

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## Statement  in  reply  to  Part  (a)  to  ( d)  of  LokSabha  Starred  Question  No. 189 for 10.03.2016

(a): The permissible works under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA are listed in Schedule -I of the Act which is at Annexure -I.

(b): The last co mprehensive amendment was done v ideNotification dated 03.01.2014. V ide Notif ication  dated  21.07.2014,  amendments  were  made  in  Paragraph  4  and  20  of  t Schedule - I of the Act providing for at least 60% of the works in the district erms of cost forcreation of productive assets directly link ed to agriculture and allied activitie s through development of land, water and trees.

(c) : There is provision for convergence of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA works with related  works  under  other  programmes  like  Indira  AwasYojana,  Integrated  Wat Management Programme, National Rural  Livelihood Mission, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana  of  Ministry  of  Rural  Development,  Pradhan Mantri KrishiSinchayee Yojana,etc. The Government has launched Project LIFE -MGNREGA, a convergence initiative with Ajeevika Skills Mission (NRLM) and Deen Dayal Upadhaya Grameen KaushalyaYojna  toskill  the youth  from  families  that  are sol ly  dependent  on MGNREGA works.

(d): The major steps taken by the Government to improve the programme implementatio under MGNREGA are given in the Annexure - II .

Annexure - I referred to in reply to parts (a) &(b) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 189 dated 10.03.2016

- I. Category: A: PUBLIC WORKS RELATIN G TO NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT :
2. (i) Water  conservation and  water  harvesting  structures  to  augment  and  improve groundwater like underground dykes, earthen dams, stop dams, check dams wi special focus on recharging ground water including drinking water sources;
3. (ii) Watershed  management  w orks  such  as  contour  trenc hes,  terracing,  contour bunds, boulder checks, gabion structures and spring shed development resu in a comprehensive treatment of a watershed;
4. (iii) Micro and minor irrigation works and creation, renovation and maintenanc irrigation canals and drains;
5. (iv) Renovation of traditional  water  bodies including desilting of irrigation tanks and other water bodies;
6. (v) Afforestation , tree plantation and horticulture in common and forest lands, margins, canal bunds, tank foreshores and coastal belts duly providing r ight to usufruct to the households covered in Paragraph 5; and
7. (vi) Land development works in common land.

## II. Category  B: COMMUNITY  ASSETS  OR INDIVIDUAL  ASSETS  FO R VULNERABLE SECTIONS (ONLY FOR HOUSEHOLDS IN PARAGRAPH 5):

- (i) Improving productivity of lands of households specified in Paragraph5 through land development and by providing suitable infrastructure for irrigation in dug wells, farm ponds and other water harvesting structures;
- (ii) Improving  livelihoods  through horticulture,  sericulture, plantation,  and  farm forestry;
- (iii) Development of fallow or waste lands of households defined in Paragraph5 to bring it under cultivation;
- (iv) Unskilled  wage  component  in construction  of  houses sanctioned  under the Indira AwaasYojana or such other State or Central Government Scheme;
- (v) Creating infrastructure for promotion of livestock such as, poultry shelter, goat shelter, piggery shelter, cattle shelter and fodder troughs for cattle; and
- (vi) Creating  infrastructure  for promotion  of  fisheries such  as,  fish  drying yards, storage facilities, and promotion of fisheries in seasonal water bodies o land;

## III. Category  C: COMMON  INFRASTRUCTUR E  INCLUDING  FOR  NRLM COMPLIANT SELF HELP GROUPS:

- (i) Works for promoting agricultural productivity by creating durable infrastructur e  required  for  bio - fertilizers  and  post - harvest  facilities  including pucca storage facilities for agricultural produce; and
- (ii) Common work - sheds for livelihood activities of self - help groups.
- IV. Category D: RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE :
- (i) Rural  sanitation related  works,  such  as,  individual  household  latrines,  sch toilet  units,  Anganwadi  toilets  either  independently  or  in  convergence schemes  of  other  Government  Departmentsto  achieve  'open  defecation  free' status. and solid and liquid waste managemen t as per prescribed norms
- (ii) Providing  all - weather  rural road  connectivity to  unconnected  villages  and  to connect identified rural production centres to the existing pucca road n and construction of pucca internal  roads or streets including side drain s and culverts within a village;
- (iii) Construction of play fields;
- (iv) Works  for  improving disaster  preparedness  or  restoration of  roads  or restoration of other essential public infrastructure including flood  con protection  works, providing drainage  in  water  logged  areas, deepeni repairing of flood channels, chaur renovation, construction of storm water s for coastal protection;
- (v) Construction  of buildings for  Gram  Panchayats,  women  self -help  groups' federations, cyclone shelters, Anganwadicentres, village haats and cremato the village or block level.
- (vi) Construction  of Food Grain Storage Structures for implementing  the provisions of The National Food Security Act 2013 (20 of 2013);
- (vii) Production of building material required for construction works under the a part of the estimate of such construction works.
- (viii) Maintenance of rural public assets create d under the Act; and
- (ix) any  other  work which  may  be  notified  by  the  Central  Government  in consultation with the State Government in this regard.

## Annexure - II  referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (d)  of  Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 189 dated 10.03.2016

## Major steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  the  programme  implementation  unde MGNREGA

## Better planning and asset identification

- An  Intensive  Participatory  Planning  Exercise  (IPPE) /Mission  Antyodaya has been  launched  in  2569  most  backward  b locks.  This  exercise  has  helped  in identifying better quality assets that need to be created.
- For improving convergence with the line departments, and thereby to impr the quality of assets, the State Convergence Plans have been formul ated.

## Improving the quality of works

- The associated outcomes of each work are being recorded before taking up work,  and  the  same  is  being  measured  after  completion  of  the  work - ther by bringing in more focus on outcomes.
- Ministry  has conduct ed training  of  Technical  Resource  Persons  from  the States/UTs on different technical aspects of works which can be taken up the  scheme. States  have  been  asked  to  train  Block  resource  persons  and  dist resource persons to from technical teams.
- The States/UTs have been asked to deploy State Quality Monitors to inspec quality of assets created under the Scheme.
- States  have  been  advised  to  engage  technical assistants/barefoot  engineers  for better technical planning and supervision of works under MGNREG.

## Better transparency, accountability and grievance redressal

- States/UTs have been asked to strengthen Social audits of MGNREGS works i accordance with the provisions of the Audit of Schemes Rules 2011 issue consultation  with  the  Comptroller  and  Auditor  General  of  India. Social  Audit Action Plan has been formulated and shared with States.
- All States have been requested to set up an independent Social Audit Unit (SAU) and appoint Ombudsman at the district level for grievance redressal.
- The Ministry has established a comprehensive system of monitoring and rev mechanism for MGNREGA, which, inter alia, include visits of the Officers of the Ministry and National Level Monitors.
- With a view to avoid bogus attendance and to check instances of tempering misuse of muster rolls, the e - Muster system has been introduced.

## Fund management and avoiding delays in payment

- The  latest  initiatives  taken  by  the  Central  Government  are  launching  of National Electronic  Fund  Management  System  (NeFMS) in  Kerala  on  pilot  basis, launching of Dashboard for tracking of pending Fund Transfer Orders, Public Management System, Workers module, electronic Fund Management System, Direct Benefit  Transfer  etc.  It  has  been  decided  to  upscale  NeFMS  in  Ten  State s  with effected from 1 st April 2016.

## Project LIFE -MGNREGA

- The Government has launched Project Livelihood in Full Employment - Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Project LIFE -MGNREGA). It aims to plan and implement tailor - made livelihood interventions for rural households in convergence with  National  Rural  Livelihood  Mission  (NRLM),  KrishiVigyanKendras  (KVKs) and Deen Dayal Updhyaya Grameen Ka ushalyaYojna (DDU - GKY) thereby, converting them into skilled persons.
- Focus on NRM and individual assets.

## Monitoring and Review Mechanism

- The  Scheme  is  regularl y  reviewed  in  the  Performance  Review  Committee  meetings, Video  conferences and  RegionalReview  meetings.  State  specific  reviews  are  also undertaken from time to time. Officers of the Ministry and National Level Monito visit various districts to oversee the performance of MGNREGA.