Question : PAYMENT OF WAGES UNDER MGNREGS

(a) whether the Government has revised the rate of wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);

(b) if so, the details thereof, State/UTwise;

(c) whether all the States have agreed to the formula of Union Government regarding revised wages under the scheme;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the States which have taken exception by raising objections to the revised wages;

(e) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to the said objections;

(f) whether the Union Government has asked the States to take action against the concerned officials for any delay in payment of wages, etc. to workers under the Scheme;

(g) if so, the details thereof; and

(h) the details of such cases reported by various States/UTs and the action taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI PRADEEP JAIN “ADITYA”)

(a)&(b) The Government of India has notified revised wage rates under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) vide notification dated 26.02.2013 in respect of all States/Union Territories under Section 6(1) of the Act. The revised rates are effective from 1st April, 2013 and are given in Annexure-I.

(c) to (e) Section 6 (1) of MGNREG Act empowers the Central Government to notify wage rates under MGNREGA. The wage rate fixed by the State Governments as on 01.12.2008 for unskilled agriculture labourers was adopted and notified as the wage rate under MGNREGA in January 2009. This has formed the basis of all subsequent revision of wage rates including the revision effective from 1.4.2013, as per the settled wage policy under MGNREGA. The Ministry of Rural Development has not received objections from any State/Union Territory on the formula for revision of wages.

(f)to(g) The Ministry receives a large number of complaints of all types about implementation of MGNREGA in the country. 52 cases related to delayed payment of wages have been received in the Ministry as on 15.2.2013 since inception. The State-wise details of such cases are given in Annexure-II. As implementation of the Act is done by the State Governments in accordance with the Schemes formulated by them as per the provisions of the Act, all such complaints/cases received in the Ministry are forwarded to the concerned State Governments for taking appropriate action as per law. Various advisories have been issued to States/UTs to check delays in payments. A time schedule for payment of wages has been suggested to the States/UTs to reduce administrative delays.