Question : Timely Payment to Beneficiaries under MGNREGS

(a) whether beneficiaries under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) are not getting timely payment and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(b) whether payments have been delayed to functionaries and agencies by the Government and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether any responsibility has been fixed for delays in payment of wages to MGNREGS workers and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to avoid delay in payment of wages to the workers and the monitoring mechanism for the same?

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


(a) & (b): Timely payment of wages is one of the priority areas under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). During the current Financial Year 2017-18 (as on 20.07.2017), out of the total payments, 15.63% payments are delayed beyond 15 days of closure of Muster roll. The delay payments have been reduced significantly from 74.25% in 2014-15 to 15.63% in 2017-18. 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 and Fund Transfer Order (FTO) etc.

The central funds are released to the States/UTs on the basis of agreed to Labour Budgets and taking into consideration the performance and the pace of utilization of available funds. The fund release for implementation of MGNREGA to States/UTs is a continuous process and Central Government is making funds available keeping in view the demand.

(c) & (d): As per para 29 (1) of Schedule-II of the Act, in case the payment of wages is not made within 15 days from the date of closure of muster roll, the wage seekers are entitled to receive compensation for the delay, at the rate of 0.05% of the unpaid wages per day of delay beyond the 16th day of closure of muster roll. All such delayed compensation are made by the State Governments after due verification.

The following efforts have been made by Government to reduce the delays in payment of wages to the MGNREGA workers:

• The Government has started National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS) in 21 States and 1 UT for direct payment of wages into workers account.

• Issued guidelines for monitoring of timely payment and payment of delay compensation.

• Provisions are enabled in NREGASoft for monitoring of timely payment and payment of delay compensation.


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