Question : Payment of MGNREGS Wages

(a) whether the Government proposes to increase wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);

(b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken in this regard during the current financial year;

(c) whether committee on revision of wages observed that wages paid under MGNREGS is less than minimum agricultural wages in many States and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government is aware that inordinate delay is taking place in payment of MGNREGS wages and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(e) whether any study has been conducted in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) the steps taken or being taken by the Government to address the delay in payment of wages under MGNREGS which is reported widely in the media?

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

(a) to (c): The Ministry of Rural Development has constituted a Committee on revision of pay under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The Committee observed that in 2016-17, the MGNREGA notified wage rate in 17 States/UTs are lower than the agricultural wage rate as given at Annexure. MGNREGA wage rates are currently indexed to state-wise Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) and based on this index, the wage rates are revised in each financial year for all States/UTs. The Committee recommended using Consumer Price Index-Rural (CPI-R) instead of CPI-AL.

(d): 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. This has resulted in considerable improvement in the status of timely generation of pay order and leading to improvement in actual time taken to credit wages in the workers account.

During the current financial Year 2017-18 (as on 18.12.2017), 85.21% (as on 22.12.2017) payment has been generated within 15 days. The delay in payment of wages are due to implementation issues in the States which include inadequate staffing, non-timely recording and reporting of attendance, measurement, data entry, generation of wage list, Fund Transfer Order (FTO), etc.

(e): State Government of Rajasthan has recently commissioned a study titled “End to End Analysis on Delay Payment under MGNREGA” to Rajasthan Grameen Ajeevika Vikas Parishad (RAJEEVIKA). The study covered sample of 10 blocks in Rajasthan and identified various reasons for delay in payments which included vacant staff positions at block and Gram Panchayat level, frequent transfer of BDOs, lack of adequate infrastructure at block level etc.

(f): Efforts have been made by the Ministry to reduce the delay in payment of wages to the MGNREGA workers viz., timely release of funds, payment through National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS) for direct payment of wages into workers account, issued guidelines for monitoring of timely payment and payment of delay compensation, enabling appropriate provisions in NREGASoft to monitor timely payment of wages and payment of delay compensation. The Ministry is in constant engagement with the State Governments/ UTs through review meetings, video conferences, Mid Term Review, SMS based monitoring etc.


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