Lok Sabha Question No. 4074 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Employment Generated under MGNREGS  in Bihar
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dr. Alok Kumar Suman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4074

## ANSWERED ON 17/03/2026

## EMPLOYMENT GENERATED UNDER MGNREGS IN BIHAR

4074. Dr. Alok Kumar Suman:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) The  total  number  of  human-days  generated  under  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Bihar during the last three financial years;
- (b) the  details  of  human-days  created  particularly  in  Gopalganj, district-wise;
- (c) the  number  of  households  provided  employment  under  the scheme;
- (d) the types of works undertaken and their contribution to rural infrastructure development; and
- (e) the steps taken to ensure timely payment of wages to MGNREGS workers?

## ANSWER

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

- (a):  The number of person-days generated in Bihar under Mahatma Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) during the last three financial years is given below:

| Financial Year                                        |   2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 |
|-------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|
| Persondays generated (Figure in lakh) 2364.32 2205.06 |                   2497.87 |

As per NREGASoft

- (b):  District-wise,  including  Gopalganj,  person-days  generated  in Bihar under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last three financial years is given at Annexure.
- (c):          Total  households  worked  in  Bihar  under  Mahatma  Gandhi NREGS during the last three financial years is given below:

| Financial Year                     |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |
|------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Total Households Worked [In Lakhs] |     50.14 |     48.18 |     51.09 |

As per NREGASoft

(d):    Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand driven wage employment Scheme, with an objective to provide not less than one hundred days of  unskilled  manual  work  as  a  guaranteed  employment  in  every financial  year  to  every  household  in  rural  areas  as  per  demand, resulting in creation of productive assets of prescribed quality and durability.

Here, it is stated that the types of works undertaken under the Scheme are specified in Schedule-I of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act,  2005.  There  are  267  works permissible under the scheme, out of which 70 works are related to individual  beneficiaries.  These  works  broadly  include  activities related to natural resource management such as water conservation and water harvesting, watershed management  and improving productivity  of  lands  of  households;  creation  of  individual  and community assets for vulnerable sections including irrigation facilities,  farm  ponds  and  livestock  infrastructure;  development  of common infrastructure for livelihood activities of Self-Help Groups; and  rural  infrastructure  works  such  as  sanitation  facilities,  rural roads,  drainage  systems,  Anganwadi  centres,  Gram  Panchayat buildings  and  maintenance  of    rural  public  assets.  These  works contribute to strengthening rural infrastructure, enhancing agricultural  productivity  and  improving  livelihood  opportunities  in rural areas.

- (e):     As per the provisions of the Act, beneficiaries are entitled to receive wage payments within 15 days of work completion. In order to  ensure  timely  payment,  the  Government  of  India  has  issued  a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to all States/UTs, which defines fixed timelines for each stage of the wage payment process-from muster roll uploading to FTO approval. The Ministry along with the States/UTs has been making concerted efforts for  improving  the  timely  payment  of  wages. States/UTs  have  been advised to generate pay orders in time.

The Ministry has taken various steps to ensure timely payment of wages to workers under (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS). These include:

-  Improvement of National Electronic Fund Management System (Ne-FMS)
-  Intensive  consultation  with  State  Governments  and  other stakeholders for ensuring timely payment of wages, verification of pending and delay compensation claims etc.
-  Formulation of Standard Operating Procedure for monitoring of timely payment and payment of delay compensation.

- Reviewing the status of timely payment and payment of delay compensation with the States/ UTs during periodic meetings, Performance  Review  Committee  meetings,  Mid-term  Reviews
-  etc.

Further,  continued  efforts  have  been  undertaken  by  the  Ministry through  various  technological  interventions  for  ensuring  timely payments of wages. Some of the key interventions include:

-  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  (DBT):  Wages  are  transferred  directly from the central account to workers' bank accounts, minimizing the role of intermediaries and reducing fund misappropriation. This has proven to be effective in enhancing transparency and preventing leakages. Almost 100% of the funds are managed electronically  with  the  wage  payment  made  entirely  through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) protocol.
-  Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS): APBS conversion is a major reform process where benefits are credited directly into the bank accounts based on the Aadhaar of the workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, preferably Aadhaar Based Payments, cutting  several  layers  in  the  delivery  process.  APBS  helps  in better  targeting,  increasing  the  efficiency  of  the  system  and reducing the delays in payments, ensuring greater inclusion by curbing leakages thereby promoting greater accountability and transparency.
-  National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS): Real-time attendance  capture  through  geo-tagged  photographs  at  the worksite ensures accurate and timely recording of attendance, which helps in timely payment of wages.

As per the provisions mentioned in Schedule-II of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), wage seekers shall be entitled to receive payment of  compensation for  the  delay,  at  the  rate  of  0.05%  of  the  unpaid wages per day of delay beyond the sixteenth day of closure of muster roll. Delay compensation rules are notified by the State Government concerned. The  amount due for compensation  is  duly  verified  and approved, and then paid by the State Government.

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Annexure Annexure  referred  to  in  the  reply  to  part  (b)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred Question No. 4074 dated 17.03.2026.

| the last three   |                    | Bihar Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during   | Bihar Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during   | Bihar Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during   |
|------------------|--------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.          | District of Bihar  | Persondays 2022-23                  | generated (Figure 2023-24           | in lakh) 2024-25                    |
| 1                | Araria             | 87.32                               | 55.40                               | 71.04                               |
| 2                | Arwal              | 30.58                               | 20.27                               | 20.46                               |
| 3                | Auranagabad        | 91.99                               | 65.63                               | 68.21                               |
| 4                | Banka              | 38.47                               | 38.61                               | 42.59                               |
| 5                | Begusarai          | 39.68                               | 36.23                               | 41.69                               |
| 6                | Bhagalpur          | 56.14                               | 48.32                               | 57.39                               |
| 7                | Bhojpur            | 47.00                               | 36.69                               | 44.35                               |
| 8                | Buxar              | 38.07                               | 44.89                               | 54.63                               |
| 9                | Darbhanga          | 78.07                               | 71.33                               | 78.63                               |
| 10               | Gayaji             | 157.98                              | 127.48                              | 134.10                              |
| 11               | Gopalganj          | 29.27                               | 38.88                               | 37.47                               |
| 12               | Jamui              | 60.88                               | 71.77                               | 93.49                               |
| 13               | Jehanabad          | 29.66                               | 28.26                               | 34.83                               |
| 14               | Kaimur (Bhabua)    | 46.30                               | 40.60                               | 46.38                               |
| 15               | Katihar            | 91.54                               | 79.78                               | 93.13                               |
| 16               | Khagaria           | 20.55                               | 19.56                               | 19.58                               |
| 17               | Kishanganj         | 51.66                               | 56.99                               | 75.72                               |
| 18               | Lakhisarai         | 32.54                               | 28.70                               | 39.05                               |
| 19               | Madhepura          | 48.94                               | 41.72                               | 48.11                               |
| 20               | Madhubani          | 68.42                               | 58.87                               | 65.00                               |
| 21               | Munger             | 41.50                               | 43.22                               | 53.66                               |
| 22               | Muzaffarpur        | 74.57                               | 85.12                               | 92.84                               |
| 23               | Nalanda            | 85.18                               | 91.37                               | 103.26                              |
| 24               | Nawada             | 98.23                               | 84.14                               | 92.45                               |
| 25               | Pashchim Champaran | 78.50                               | 62.78                               | 70.65                               |
| 26               | Patna              | 59.46                               | 54.20                               | 58.58                               |
| 27               | Purbi Champaran    | 115.06                              | 114.70                              | 120.45                              |
| 28               | Purnia             | 63.45                               | 68.67                               | 79.42                               |
| 29               | Rohtas             | 55.71                               | 46.81                               | 58.23                               |
| 30               | Saharsa            | 70.69                               | 98.97                               | 107.03                              |
| 31               | Samastipur         | 117.98                              | 99.83                               | 110.89                              |
| 32               | Saran              | 87.95                               | 77.38                               | 86.26                               |
| 33               | Sheikhpura         | 21.80                               | 17.94                               | 17.85                               |
| 34               | Sheohar            | 19.76                               | 20.06                               | 18.81                               |
| 35               | Sitamarhi          | 68.20                               | 69.69                               | 71.49                               |
| 36               | Siwan              | 49.88                               | 46.87                               | 56.28                               |
| 37               | Supaul             | 45.21                               | 44.32                               | 48.80                               |
| 38               | Vaishali           | 66.13                               | 69.01                               | 85.08                               |
|                  | Total              | 2364.32                             | 2205.06                             | 2497.87                             |

As per NREGASoft

*****