Question : Funds Allocation under MGNREGS

(a) whether funds allocated during 2014-15 and 2015-16 were spent during non-agricultural period in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);

(b) if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) the number of workers to whom wages were disbursed through banks and through postal service where banking system is not available during the last three years, State/UT-wise including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; and

(d) the number of workers to whom wages were paid in cash under the scheme during the last three years and the reasons for not disbursing wages through banks and post offices, State/UT-wise including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)

(a) & (b): Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is a demand driven wage employment programme. There is no provision to capture agricultural and non-agricultural seasons. The States prepare month-wise estimation based on seasonality for their labour budget. Details of month-wise persondays generated in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during 2014-15 and 2015-16 are given in Annexure-I.

(c) & (d): State/UT-wise details of expenditure towards e-payment of wages under MGNREGA during 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 (as on 31st January, 2017) is given in Annexure-II.

In order to strengthen wage transfer system, the Electronic Fund Management System (e-FMS) has been rolled out for all types of payments like wage, material and administrative expenses under MGNREGS. The e-FMS directly credits the wages directly into the respective beneficiary’s accounts. As of now, the e-FMS has been implemented in 92% of the Gram Panchayats and more than 95% of the wage payments are done using e-FMS.

Only 5% of GPs are enabled for cash mode and in these locations, the MGNREGA workers may be paid the wages in cash because of issues relating to internet connectivity. Details of GPs exempted for cash payment of wages to MGNREGA workers in the following five States during 2016-17 are given as under: -


SI.NO. State Total GPs No. of GPs allowed for cash payments

1 ARUNACHAL PRADESH 1827 1826

2 CHHATTISGARH 10971 686

3 MANIPUR 3151 2977

4 MEGHALAYA 6259 6256

5 NAGALAND 1228 1202


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