Lok Sabha Question No. 5142 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Mandatory Approval of Gram Sabha in MGNREGA Works
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Smt. Roopkumari Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5142

## ANSWERED ON 24/03/2026

## MANDATORY APPROVAL OF GRAM SABHA IN MGNREGA WORKS

5142. Smt. Roopkumari Choudhary:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- whether the Government is aware that in some States, including Chhattisgarh,  muster  rolls  maintained  under  the  Mahatma Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act  do  not mandatorily require the approval or signatures of the Sarpanch
- (a) or Gram Sabha, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the absence of such verification by elected Panchayat representatives has led to concerns regarding transparency and possible irregularities in work execution and labour entries at the Panchayat level, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  mandatory verification, strengthen social audit and enhance transparency and accountability in the implementation of the scheme?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b): The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is implemented by the States/UTs in accordance with the provisions of the Act, 2005 and the Operational Guidelines issued by the Ministry.

Maintenance of muster rolls under the scheme is mandatory and must  follow  prescribed  procedures.  The  detailed  modalities  for certification and verification of muster rolls are determined by the respective State Governments within the overall framework of the Act and Guidelines.

In  the  case  of  Chhattisgarh,  as  informed  by  the  State,  the signature of the Sarpanch on muster rolls is not mandatory. Instead, muster  rolls  are  authenticated  through  the  signature  of  the  Gram Rozgar  Sahayak  (GRS),  along  with  the  signature  of  either  the

Sarpanch or the Panchayat Secretary. As reported by the State, this system  has  not  led  to  any  concerns  regarding  transparency  or irregularities.

Further,  the  National  Mobile  Monitoring  System  (NMMS)  has strengthened transparency in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. Real-time, geo-tagged attendance captured through NMMS has streamlined the timely creation of muster rolls and reduced the scope for fake attendance by ensuring accurate and timely recording of workers' presence at worksites.

- (c):          The  scheme  is  implemented  on  an  end-to-end  integrated transaction-based  Management  Information  System  (MIS)  platform called  NREGASoft. To strengthen transparency, accountability and verification  mechanisms  under  the  Scheme,  the  Government  has taken several measures, these includes:
- i. Direct  Benefit  Transfer  (DBT):  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  (DBT) system  in  wage  payment  has  been  adopted  under  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS).  The  payment  of  wages  to  the  bank/  post  office accounts  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  workers  is  through National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS)/Electronic Fund Management System (eFMS).
- ii. National Mobile Monitoring Service (NMMS): It enables capturing of attendance of workers at Mahatma Gandhi NREGA worksites (except for individual beneficiary works) along with geo-tagged  photograph  twice  in  a  day.  This  app  aids  in increasing citizen oversight of the programme. This is one more step towards transparency and accountability.
- iii. Area Officer Monitoring Visit Application:  This App facilitates the officials of the State/UT to record their field visit findings online. The App also allows the officials to record time stamped and  geotagged  photograph  for  all  the  schemes  launched  by Department  of  Rural  Development.  Also,  this  App  helps  in developing  hassle-free  reporting  of  the  field  visits.  This  app records the field visit findings and views the field visit outcome report by the senior officials.
- iv. GIS based plan- Use of Space Technology: GIS based GP level plan  (ridge  to  valley  approach)  preparation  using  Remote Sensing technology in a saturation mode for all the GPs of the country.
- v. Yuktdhara :  GIS based planning tool - To simplify the GIS based planning at GP level under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA  ' Yuktdhara'  a Geospatial planning portal is developed  in collaboration with ISRO-NRSC.

- vi. SECURE  -  Software  for  Estimate  Calculation  for  using  Rural Rates for Employment :- Application is being used to  estimate the  cost of works to be undertaken under the scheme.
- vii. GeoNREGA:  the  app  has  been  developed  by  using  Space Technology to track the creation of assets by geotagging it, at 'Before', 'During' and 'After' stages of the asset creation.
- viii. JALDOOT  App:  JALDOOT  app  has  been  developed  to  enable monitoring  of  ground  water  tables  across  the  country.  The Jaldoot app enables Gram Rojgar Sahayak (GRS) to measure the water  level  of  selected  wells  twice  a  year  (pre-monsoonand post-monsoon).
- ix. JANMANREGA app: this  app  helps  in  proactive  disclosure  of information to its citizens in reference to the implementation of Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS.  Citizen  awareness  is  a  key  to efficient, effective, and transparent execution of the scheme.
- x. Ombudsperson App- An Ombudsperson App has been developed for smooth reporting and categorization of grievances received from  various  sources  viz.  physical,  digital  and  mass  media related to the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, easy tracking and timely passing of awards on each case as per the guidelines and easy uploading of quarterly and annual report on the website.
- xi. Social Audit: As per the mandate of the Act, the Ministry has laid emphasis on the setting up of an institutional structure at the States/UTs level for facilitating social audits of all the Gram Panchayats at least twice a year. With the consistent efforts by Ministry,  a  total  of  27  States  and  1  UT  have  established Independent Social Audit Units.

Further, monitoring by National level monitors regular and special monitoring, monitoring by team of central level officers, monitoring visits by Common review Mission teams, monitoring through use of Area Officers app is being conducted for better implementation of the programme. Also, State/UT specific reviews are also undertaken from time to time.

These  measures  collectively  ensure  enhanced  transparency, strengthen  verification  processes  and  minimize  the  possibility  of irregularities in muster rolls and work execution under the Scheme.

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