**Summary:**
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing the National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS) for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of wages. This initiative aims to improve the efficiency and accessibility of wage payments, particularly under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005. The Ministry of Rural Development mandates 100 days of wage payments by the Central Government directly to beneficiaries' accounts through DBT. The program ensures at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment to households in rural areas, with an additional 50 days for Scheduled Tribe households in forest areas (subject to certain conditions under the Forest Rights Act, 2006). An additional 50 days of wage employment may also be provided in drought or natural calamity-affected areas. State Governments can also provide additional employment days beyond the guaranteed period using their own funds, as per Section 34 of the Act. The Ministry of Rural Development is using various technological interventions such as DBT and the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) to ensure timely wage payments and has taken steps such as improving NeFMS, consulting with State Governments, formulating Standard Operating Procedures, and reviewing payment status. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has not received any complaints regarding accessibility and efficiency of the DBT mode concerning its scholarship schemes for ST students.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The Indian government ministry responsible for the welfare and development of Scheduled Tribes (STs).
NeFMS: National Electronic Fund Management System, used for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of wages.
DBT: Direct Benefit Transfer, a mechanism for transferring subsidies and benefits directly to beneficiaries' bank accounts.
Dr Gumma Thanuja Rani: Member of Parliament who asked an unstarred question.
Shri Durgadas Uikey: Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the question was addressed.
Ministry of Rural Development: The Indian government ministry responsible for rural development programs.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005: An Indian labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the 'right to work'.
Forest Rights Act FRA, 2006: A law concerning the rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and resources.
State Governments: The governments of the individual states within India.
Aadhaar Payment Bridge System APBS: A system leveraging the Aadhaar identity platform for facilitating direct benefit transfers.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
"Implementation of NeFMS for DBT of Wages"
Posted On: 21 AUG 2025 4:08PM by PIB Delhi
Replying today an un-starred question of Dr Gumma Thanuja Rani the Union Minister of State for Tribal
Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed Lok Sabha today that as far as the scholarship schemes implemented
by Ministry of Tribal Affairs for ST students in concerned, Ministry has not received any complaint regarding
accessibility and efficiency of the DBT mode.
Further, the Ministry of Rural Development has informed that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005 is an Act to provide for the enhancement of
livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of
guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to
do unskilled manual work. The Ministry mandates the provision of an additional 50 days of wage employment
(beyond the stipulated 100 days) to every Scheduled Tribe Household in a forest area, provided that these
households have no other private property except for the land rights provided under the Forest Rights Act
(FRA), 2006.
In addition to this, there is a provision for providing up to an additional 50 days of wage employment in a
financial year in drought/natural calamity-affected notified rural areas. Further, as per Section 3(4) of the Act,
the State Governments may make provision for providing additional days of employment beyond the period
guaranteed under the Act from their own funds. Under the scheme, 100% of wage payments are made by the
Central Government directly to the accounts of beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
protocol.
The Ministry of Rural Development has taken various steps to ensure the timely payment of wages to workers
including improvement of National Electronic Fund Management System (Ne-FMS), intensive consultation
with State Governments and other stakeholders, formulation of Standard Operating Procedure and reviewing
the status of timely payment. Further, continued efforts have been undertaken by the Ministry through various
technological interventions i.e. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS).
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RN/
(Release ID: 2159083)