MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI PRADEEP JAIN ‘ADITYA’)
(a): The budget estimate and revised estimate of outlay for Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from 2010-11onwards is given
below:-
(Rs. in crore)
Year BE RE
2009-2010 39100.00 39100.00
2010-2011 40100.00 40100.00
2011-2012 40000.00 31000.00
2012-2013 33000.00
(b) & (c): The details of funds released by the Central Government to the
States/Union Territories for implementation of MGNREGA and expenditure incurred
from 2009-10 onwards as reported by States/UTs are given in Annexure-I. MGNREGA
is a demand driven wage employment programme and utilisation of funds by the
States/UTs depend on demand for employment. Since it is demand driven, inter-
State comparison of performance under MGNREGA may not be appropriate given
State specific variations in the level of socio-economic conditions,
availability of alternate employment opportunities and other factors.
(d) to (g): The Ministry receives a large number of complaints about
implementation of MGNREGA in the country. The complaints mainly relate to
cases of job cards not provided, misappropriation of funds, engagement of
contractors, forgery of muster roll, manipulation in job cards, under payment
of wages, non-payment of wages, corruption and other irregularities, use of
machinery, delay in payments etc. The State-wise details of such complaints
received during the last 3 years and current year 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
complaints received in the Ministry are forwarded to the concerned state
Governments for taking appropriate action, including investigation, as per
law. At the instance of the Supreme Court of India in the Writ Petition
(PIL) No. 645 of 2007-Centre for Environment and Food Security, on receipt
of consent of the State Government of Orissa in April 2011, the Union
Government ordered an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) into allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds under
MGNREGA in Orissa. CBI has already submitted its report to the Supreme Court
in the matter. The Ministry of Rural Development has also requested for
consent of the State Government of Uttar Pradesh for enquiry by the CBI into
irregularities in implementation of MGNREGA in Uttar Pradesh. A Writ Petition
No. 12802(M/B) of 2011 has also been filed in the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad
high court seeking directions for a CBI enquiry into irregularities in
implementation of MGNREGA in Uttar Pradesh. The matter is thus subjudice.
(h): As per Section 24 of MGNREG Act 2005, the Central Government may in
consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, prescribe
appropriate arrangements for audits of the accounts of the Schemes at all levels.
Accordingly, in consultation with the CAG, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Audit of Schemes Rules, 2011, has been notified on
30th June, 2011. The Ministry has also requested for special financial and
performance audits by CAG, to begin with, in the States of Andhra Pradesh,
Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal and the CAG audit has
already commenced.
