Lok Sabha Question No. 62 (STARRED), answered on 2015-12-03
Subject: MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, NALIN KUMAR KATEEL

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 62

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.12 .2015

## MGNREGS

## *62. SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

## SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Union  Government  has issued  directives  to  all  the  States  to  improve the implementation  and  outreach  of  the Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is taking steps to ensure 100 days guaranteed jobs to the poor, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether unemployment allowance is also paid to those who are not provided jobs under MGNREGS, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether instance of ghost workers collecting wages under MGNREGS have been reported and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the follow - up action taken to improve delivery mechanism of MGNREGS in the country?

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

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

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## Statementin reply to Part s(a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 62 for03.12.2015

(a): Ministry issues several advisories from time to time to States/UTs for effective implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). These advisories also pertain to assets generation .The matter is regularly reviewed in  the  Performance  Review  Committee  meetings, Video  conferenc es and Regional  R eview meetings. State specific reviews are also undertaken from time to time. Officers of the Ministry and National  Level  Monitors  also  visit  various  districts  to  oversee  the  perfo MGNREGA.  During  these  reviews,  the  implementation aspects  that  need  strengthening  are identified including the areas for improvement in the quality of assets .The major steps taken by the  Government  to  improve  the  programme  implementation  under  MGNREGA  are  given  in the Annexure .

(b): MGNREGA is a demand - driven wage employment programme. Not less than 100 days of employment are provided to registered workers upon receipt of their demand. The Government is actively engaged with State Governments in establishing systems that ensure provision s per demand, transparency and accountability. To generate awareness about the provisions of t Scheme and to provide adequate employment opportunities to rural househ underMGNREGA, the States/UTs have been requested for the following:

- (i) Init iate appropriate IEC campaigns including wall paintings for wide dissem of theprovisions of the Act.
- (ii) Expand scope and coverage of demand registration system to ensure that d for work under MGNREGA does not go unregistered.
- (iii) Organiz e 'Rozgar Diwas' periodically to capture latent demand  under the programme and to disseminate awareness about the provisions of the Act.
- (iv) Formulation of a specific plan to include special categories of vulnerab viz.  persons  with  disabilities, primitive  tribal  groups,  nomadic  tribal  groups, -notified tribes etc.
- (v) Organisation of workers into labour groups to ensure powerful demand -side pulls for improving performance of MGNREGA.

(c): As per Section 7 of the MGNREGA, unemployment allowance becomes payable if work is not provided within 15 days from the date of the application or the date from which wo sought whichever is later. As per the database, there has been delay in provision of work the generation  of 1.65  crore  personda ys  for  which  unemployment  allowance  of  Rs.  137.89  cror becomes payable after due verification by the Block level officers. However, no State reported payment ofunemployment allowa nce.

(d): There have been complaints of irregularities in implementation of MGNREGA from many States. As per the provisions of the Act, all complaints received in the Ministry are f the concerned state Governments for taking appropriate action including investigation, Detailed instructi ons by way of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for dealing with compl have also been issued to all States/UTs. With a view to eliminate ghost beneficiaries and fo faster  disbursement  of  wages,  it  has  been  decided  to  link  the  payments  under  MGNRE A  to Aadhaar  numbers.  Under  this,  payments  will  be  routed  directly  into  the  account beneficiaries using electronic system.

(e): Following  modalities  have  been  chalked  out  by  Government  for  making  payment beneficiaries and prevent leakage s in the implementation of MGNREGA: -

- (i) All payments are mandatorily done through the Bank/Post Office accounts. Bu correspondents have been employed by the Banks for speedy disbursal of payme workers after biometric authentication.
- (ii) With a view to avoid bogus attendance and to check instances of tampering and mi of muster rolls, the e - Muster system has been introduced. For smooth fund flow, electronic Fund Management System (e -FMS) has been made mandatory from 1 st April 2015.
- (iii) Instructions have  been  issued  directing  all  States  to  appoint  Ombudsman  at  d level for grievance redressal. States/UTs have been as ked to strengthen Social Audit system in accordance with the provisions of the Audit of Schemes Rules 2011 issued consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

## Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (a)  of  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.  62  d 03.12.2015

Major  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  the  programme  implementation  u 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  identify better quality assets that need to be created.
- For improving convergence with the line departments, and thereby to improve quality of assets, the State Convergence Plans have been formulated.

## Improving the quality of works

- The associated outcomes of each work are being recorded before taking up th and  the  same  is  b eing  measured  after  completion  of  the  work - thereby  bringing  in more focus on outcomes.
- Ministry would conduct training of Technical Resource Persons from the Stat on diff erent technical aspects of works which can be taken up under the scheme.
- The  Sta tes/UTs  have  been  asked  to  deploy  State  Quality  Monitors  to  inspec quality of asse ts created under the Scheme.
- States  have  been  advised  to  engage  technical assistants/barefoot  engineers  for better technical planning and su pervision of works under MGN REG.
- Mobile  Monitoring  Systems  ha ve been  introduced  in  35000  GPs for  better implementation of the scheme.

## Better transparency, accountability and grievance redressal

- States/UTs  have  been  asked  to  strengthen  Social  audits  of  MGNREGS  works accordancewith  the  provisions  of  the  Audit  of  Schemes  Rules  2011  issue consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. In order to support the States to conduct the Social Audits as laid down under the Rules, it decided to provide techni cal assistance of Rs.147 crore under a special Project .
- All State s have been requested to set up an independent Social Audit Unit (SAU appointOmbudsman at the district level for grievance redressal.
- The  Ministry  has  established  a  comprehensive  syste m  of  monitoring  and  review mechanism for MGNREGA, which, i nter 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  temperi misuse of muster rolls, the e - Mu st r system has been introduced.

## Fund management and avoiding delays in payment

- The  Ministry  has  initiated  Electronic  Fund  Management  System  (e - FMS)  which directly credits the wages into the respective beneficiary's accounts using the core banking  system. States  have  been  asked  to  universalise  the  operationalisat electronic Fund Management System to ensure smooth flow of funds from the to the wage seekers and to eliminate delays in payment of wages.