**Executive Summary:**
This document addresses questions raised in Lok Sabha regarding the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). It clarifies the policy on job card deletions, wage payment status, measures to address work demand, and initiatives for unemployment among semi-rural youth. The Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) was made mandatory on January 1, 2024, to ensure timely wage payments. Data is current as of July 30, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Job Card Deletion:**
* Job cards are not deleted solely due to non-linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts.
* Deletion and restoration of job cards follow a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued on January 25, 2025.
* The SOP includes guidelines for deletion, grievance redressal, and settlement of pending liabilities.
* The process involves publishing draft lists, verification at Gram Sabhas, and appeal rights for workers.
* **Wage Payments:**
* Wage payments are directly credited to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer.
* As of July 30, 2025, ₹48,782.81 crore has been released to states, including 100% of pending wage liabilities from FY 2024-25.
* Pending wage liabilities as of July 30, 2025, are detailed state/UT-wise in the annexure.
* Funds to West Bengal have been stopped since March 9, 2022, due to non-compliance with Central Government directives.
* **Addressing Work Demand:**
* The Ministry monitors employment demand and seeks additional funds from the Ministry of Finance as needed.
* As of July 30, 2025, 99.79% of eligible rural households who demanded employment were offered it.
* **Unemployment Among Semi-Rural Youth:**
* Project UNNATI, launched in December 2019, aims to upgrade the skill base of MGNREGS workers.
* The project targets enhancing the skills of 2 lakh workers to improve their livelihoods.
* As of March 31, 2025, 90,894 candidates had been trained.
**Impact Analysis:**
* **MGNREGS Workers:**
* *Impact:* Assurance of timely wage payments through APBS, protection against wrongful job card deletion through SOP compliance, and opportunities for skill enhancement through Project UNNATI.
* *Action Required:* Link Aadhaar to bank accounts, participate in Gram Sabha verifications, and utilize the grievance redressal mechanism if needed.
* **State/UT Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsibility for implementing the SOP for job card deletions and ensuring compliance with MGNREGS guidelines.
* *Action Required:* Implement the SOP, verify job cards regularly, address issues raised by stakeholders, and follow due procedures for fund requests.
* **Ministry of Rural Development:**
* *Impact:* Oversight and monitoring of MGNREGS implementation, ensuring fund availability, and addressing challenges faced by workers.
* *Action Required:* Continue monitoring implementation, release funds as per demand, resolve issues raised by States/UTs, and ensure the integrity of MGNREGS.
Key Entities Referenced
Public Finance Management System: A platform of central government for managing government expenditure
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: A rural employment scheme in India guaranteeing wage employment to rural households.
MGNREGS: Acronym for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
Aadhaar: 12 digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India
Aadhar Payment Bridge System: A system for direct benefit transfer using Aadhaar identification.
Ministry of Rural Development: The Indian government ministry responsible for rural development.
Project UNNATI: A Government of India project launched to upgrade the skill base of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS workers.
West Bengal: A state in eastern India with pending liabilities for wage, material and admin component.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2592
ANSWERED ON 05/08/2025
DELETION OF JOB CARDS
2592. Shri K C Venugopal:
Smt. JyotsnaCharandasMahant:
Shri PradyutBordoloi:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the details and total number of job cards deleted under the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (MGNREGS) due to Aadhaar-linking failures since
2023, State and year-wise;
(b) the quantum of wages pending for more than 30 days under
MGNREGS as of March 2025, State-wise;
(c) the details of steps taken by the Ministry to address the
increased demand for work under MGNREGS; and
(d) the measures taken by the Government to address
unemployment among semi-rural youth alongwith details
thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a): To ensure timely payment of wages to the beneficiaries under
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) and to address the issues arising due to
frequent changes in bank account numbers of the beneficiaries and
subsequent non-updation, it was decided to implement Aadhar
Payment Bridge System (APBS). This has been made mandatory
with effect from 1st January 2024.It is a mode of payment of wages
under the scheme.
The Job cards are not deleted due to reason of non-linking of
Aadhaar with bank accounts.
Page 1 of 4The responsibility of implementation of the scheme is vested
with the Government of concerned States/UTs. Verification of Job
Card is a regular exercise conducted by the concerned State/UT. To
streamline the process of deletion of Job cards, Ministry of Rural
Development has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) vide
letter dated 25.01.2025 to all States/Union Territories, with clear
guidelines for deletion and restoration of job cards. The SOP
ensures compliance with the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS guidelines,
promotes transparency, protects the rights of workers by defining
conditions for deletion, setting up a grievance redressal
mechanism, and ensure the settlement of pending liabilities, if any,
before deletion/cancellation. The SOP emphasizes the importance of
due process, including the publication of draft lists of job cards
marked for deletion, verification at Gram Sabhas, and the right of
appeal for affected workers. These measures are aimed at
preventing misuse of job cards while ensuring that genuine
beneficiaries are not excluded. The Ministry is committed to
maintaining the integrity of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS and ensuring
that the benefits of the scheme reach eligible rural households.
The Ministry continues to monitor its implementation and
takes necessary measures to address any challenges faced by
workers in receiving their entitlements. As and when any issue is
flagged by the State/UT or any other stakeholders, same is resolved
on priority basis.
(b): Under the scheme, fund release to the States/UTs is a
continuous process. Wage payments are directly credited by the
Central Government to the account of beneficiaries through Direct
Benefit Transfer protocol.
In the current Financial Year (as on 30.07.2025), an amount of
Rs. 48,782.81 crore has been released to the States including 100%
of pending wage liabilities of FY 2024-25. As sanction for payment
of wages are issued by Ministry daily through PFMS (Public Finance
Management System), after receipt of fund transfer orders from
States after following the due procedures, the fund release status
keeps updating on a daily basis.
State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for
wage component under Scheme as on 30.07.2025 are given at
Annexure.
Page 2 of 4(c)& (d): Ministry of Rural Development closely monitors the
demand for employment at the ground level and seeks additional
funds from the Ministry of Finance as and when required. The
release of funds is a continuous process, and the Government of
India remains committed to providing funds as per actual demand
for employment under the scheme. During the current Financial
Year (FY) 2025-26 (as on 30.07.2025), 99.79% of the eligible rural
households have been offered employment against who have
demanded the employment under the scheme, reflecting effective
implementation.
In order to upgrade the skill base of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS
workers, Government of India launched “Project UNNATI” in
December 2019. By upgrading skill base of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS
workers, the project intends to improve their livelihoods, so that
they can move from the current partial employment to full-time
employment through either self employment or wage employment.
The Project aims to enhance the skill base of 2 lakh Mahatma
Gandhi NREGS workers. The total achievement till 31st March 2025
is 90,894 candidates.
*****
Page 3 of 4Annexure
Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 2592
dated 05.08.2025.
State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for wage component
under Scheme as on 30.07.2025. (Rs. in crore)
Pending liabilities for wage
SI. No. States/UTs
component
1 Andhra Pradesh 1703.07
2 Arunachal Pradesh 1.47
3 Assam 73.02
4 Bihar 907.02
5 Chhattisgarh 11.85
6 Goa 0.39
7 Gujarat 3.88
8 Haryana 14.98
9 Himachal Pradesh 1.54
10 Jharkhand 50.49
11 Karnataka 105.72
12 Kerala 298.15
13 Madhya Pradesh 201.54
14 Maharashtra 225.58
15 Manipur 2.75
16 Meghalaya 8.19
17 Mizoram 1.45
18 Nagaland 1.04
19 Odisha 22.72
20 Punjab 78.09
21 Rajasthan 313.68
22 Sikkim 0.34
23 Tamil Nadu 301.71
24 Telangana 460.14
25 Tripura 3.44
26 Uttar Pradesh 743.40
27 Uttarakhand 3.84
28 West Bengal 3038*
29 Andaman & Nicobar 0.00
30 Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu 0.00
31 Jammu & Kashmir 13.12
32 Ladakh 0.40
33 Lakshadweep 0.00
34 Puducherry 12.93
Note: There is no pending liability for previous years for wage component in case
of any States/UTs, except in case of State of West Bengal.
*Pending liability in case of State of West Bengal includes wage, material and
admin component. Release of fund to the State of West Bengal has been stopped
since 9th March, 2022 as per provision of section 27 of Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 due to non compliance with directives of
Central Government.
*****
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