(a) whether the Government proposes to strengthen the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) by providing job cards to the migrant workers who have returned to their villages during the COVID-19 lockdown period, increasing funds allocated to the scheme and expanding the scope of the work as the target for providing free foodgrains to the migrant workers has not been successful;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)
(a) to (c) Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand driven wage employment scheme. Every adult member of a household in a rural area, having job card (as per Mahatma Gandhi NREG Act), is eligible for a job on demand under the scheme. There is no provision to register a Job card holder categorised as migrant labourers/ family in the job card in the scheme. A job card can be issued to a migrant labour/family as per the provision of the Act against a demand by the migrant labour/family. A total of 86,81,928 new job card during the current FY so far, has been issued as compared to 36,64,368 new job card issued during the same period of the FY 2019-20.
During the Financial Year 2020-21, the Budget Estimates is of Rs. 61,500 crore for Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. In order to meet additional demand for work due to return of workers from urban areas to rural areas, Government has made an additional provision of Rs. 40,000 crore under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat package as announced by Hon’ble Union Finance Minister during the current FY 2020-21. The Ministry seeks additional fund for Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as and when required for meeting the demand for work on the ground.
Inclusion of new works under the Scheme is a regular exercise to expand the ambit of work offered under the Scheme. In this direction, recently on 2.7.2020, the permissible works under the Scheme has been enhanced to 262 numbers by adding unskilled wage component of 230 persondays for construction of Community Sanitary Complexes in convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).
The Ministry also issues convergence guidelines with other Ministries/ Departments from time to time to enhance the creation of durable asset by creating more opportunities in rural areas.
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