Executive Summary:
This document is an answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 268 regarding the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), answered on 22/07/2025. It provides details on the scheme's features, beneficiaries, funds allocated and utilized in Tamil Nadu, impact assessment findings, skilling initiatives, and reforms undertaken by the government. The document also includes details of funds released and expenditure incurred for the last three financial years.
Key Points / Main Content:
MGNREGS Features:
* MGNREGS guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to rural households whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
* Job cards are issued to registered households within 15 days of application.
* Workers are entitled to work within 15 days of demand, with unemployment allowance if work is not provided.
* Gram Sabhas recommend projects, with at least 50% of works allocated to Gram Panchayats.
* Permissible works include water and soil conservation, afforestation, and land development.
* A 60:40 wage and material ratio is maintained at the district level, prohibiting contractors and labor-displacing machinery.
* The central government bears 100% of unskilled wage costs and 75% of material costs.
* Social audits and grievance redressal mechanisms are mandatory.
Beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu:
* Number of workers who availed of employment in Tamil Nadu State under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last three financial years are as follows:
* 2022-23: 75.79 Lakhs
* 2023-24: 79.39 Lakhs
* 2024-25: 74.34 Lakhs
Funds Allocated and Utilized in Tamil Nadu (Rs. in crore):
* Financial Year 2022-23: Central funds released - 9743.53, Expenditure Including State Share - 11420.95
* Financial Year 2023-24: Central funds released - 12616.53, Expenditure Including State Share - 13395.54
* Financial Year 2024-25: Central funds released - 7585.49, Expenditure Including State Share - 10744.75
Impact Assessment Findings (NITI Aayog, 2020):
* MGNREGS promotes inclusive growth, social protection, livelihood security, and democratic empowerment.
* It provides livelihood security through durable asset creation, improved water security, soil conservation, and higher land productivity.
* The scheme has positively impacted household income and living standards by improvements in production from agriculture.
* MGNREGS has led to major increases in wages of rural workers.
* SC, ST, Women, and socially excluded communities benefit significantly, indicating poverty alleviation.
Skilling Initiatives (Project UNNATI):
* Project UNNATI, launched in December 2019, aims to upgrade the skill base of MGNREGS workers to improve livelihoods through self or wage employment.
* The project targets enhancing the skill base of 2 lakh workers.
* Till 31st March 2025, 90,894 candidates have been skilled.
Scheme Reforms and Enhancements:
* Targeted interventions in Natural Resource Management (NRM) have reduced water-stressed blocks.
* Mission Amrit Sarovar aims to construct or rejuvenate 50,000 water bodies nationwide.
* Social audits are conducted twice a year in all Gram Panchayats.
* Payments are made through the Aadhaar Based Payment System (ABPS); 99.6% of active workers' Aadhaar numbers are seeded.
* GIS-based planning is implemented using Remote Sensing technology.
* Yuktdhara is a Geospatial planning portal developed for GIS-based planning.
* SECURE software is used for estimate calculation.
* GeoNREGA tracks asset creation through geotagging.
* The National Mobile Monitoring Service (NMMS) captures worker attendance with geotagged photographs.
* Area Officer Monitoring Visit Application records field visit findings online.
* The JALDOOT App measures well water levels.
* The JANMANREGA app aids in proactive information disclosure and feedback collection.
Impact Analysis:
Rural Households:
* Impact: Benefit from guaranteed wage employment, increased income, improved living standards, and skill development opportunities.
* Action Required: Register for job cards, demand work, and participate in skilling programs.
Gram Panchayats:
* Impact: Responsible for project recommendations, execution of works (at least 50%), and facilitating social audits.
* Action Required: Verify job card applications, provide work within 15 days of demand, recommend projects, and conduct social audits.
State Government (Tamil Nadu):
* Impact: Responsible for scheme implementation, fund utilization, and monitoring.
* Action Required: Ensure timely fund disbursement, monitor project progress, and facilitate social audits.
Central Government (Ministry of Rural Development):
* Impact: Responsible for policy formulation, fund allocation, and overall scheme monitoring.
* Action Required: Continuously monitor and evaluate the scheme, allocate funds, and implement reforms to improve effectiveness.
Key Entities Referenced
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: A flagship employment scheme in India providing a legal guarantee for 100 days of wage employment to rural households whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
Tamil Nadu: A state in southern India, significant as the region for which beneficiary numbers and fund allocation details are provided under the MGNREGS scheme.
NITI Aayog: A policy think tank of the Government of India, involved in the assessment of the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS through third-party studies.
Project UNNATI: A Government of India initiative launched in December 2019 to upgrade the skill base of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS workers.
Ministry of Rural Development: The central ministry responsible for the implementation and oversight of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.
Mission Amrit Sarovar: A mission launched to construct or rejuvenate 50,000 water bodies across India, aiming to strengthen water conservation efforts nationwide.
Gram Panchayat: A local self-government organization at the village or small-town level in India, playing a crucial role in the implementation of MGNREGS.
Aadhaar Based Payment System: A system of direct benefit transfer where payments to MGNREGS workers are credited into their accounts through Aadhaar numbers.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 268
ANSWERED ON 22/07/2025
REFORMATION OF MGNREGS
268. SHRI MALAIYARASAN D:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the features of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);
(b) the number of beneficiaries availed employment under such
scheme within Tamil Nadu during the last three years;
(c) the funds allocated and utilized for the implementation of
MGNREGS within Tamil Nadu during the last three years;
(d) whether the Government has conducted any evaluation or
impact assessment of the MGNREG scheme to measure its
effectiveness in providing sustainable livelihoods, improving
rural infrastructure and alleviating poverty;
(e) the number of beneficiaries under MGNREGS who have been
provided with skilling opportunities or employment in livelihood
creation beyond mere manual labour; and
(f) whether the Government has any plans to expand or reform the
MGNREG scheme, including measures to increase wage rates,
improve work quality, or integrate technology for better
monitoring and management, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a): The salient features of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) are
detailed at Annexure.
Page 1 of 5(b): Number of workers who availed of employment in Tamil Nadu
State under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) during the last three financial
years are given below:
Financial Year 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Number of workers who availed of
75.79 79.39 74.34
employment in Tamil Nadu [In Lakhs]
(as per NREGASoft)
(c): The details of funds released by Central Government to the
State of Tamil Nadu for the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi
NREG Scheme and expenditure (Including State Share) incurred
under the scheme during the last three financial years is given
below:
(Rs. in crore)
Financial Year 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Central funds released 9743.53 12616.53 7585.49
Expenditure (Including State 11420.95 13395.54 10744.75
Share)
(d): Government of India has made assessment of implementation
of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS through third party study in terms of
increase in household income, poverty alleviation etc. sponsored by
NITI Aayog in 2020. Some of the key findings of the study are as
under:
(i) Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is a powerful instrument for inclusive
growth in rural India through its impact on social protection,
livelihood security and democratic empowerment.
(ii) Mahatma Gandhi NREGS provides livelihood security for the poor
through creation of durable assets, improved water security, soil
conservation and higher land productivity.
(iii) Mahatma Gandhi NREGS has had a positive impact on the
standard of living of households through increase in household
income by improvements in production from agriculture.
(iv) Mahatma Gandhi NREGA has led to major increases in wages of
rural workers.
Page 2 of 5(v) SC, ST and Women along with socially excluded communities
benefit from and are included in Mahatma Gandhi NREGA plans
which could be a significant indicator of poverty alleviation in rural
areas.
(e): 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
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.
(f): Ministry of Rural Development has continuously undertaken
various steps to strengthen the quality of implementation of the
scheme. Several steps have been undertaken to improve its
effectiveness, efficiency and relevance in changing rural contexts.
i. Targeted interventions in Natural Resource Management
(NRM) and agriculture-related activities have yielded a
substantial reduction in water-stressed blocks. From FY 2017-
18 to FY 2023-24, the number of such blocks has declined from
2,264 to 1,456, with 1,519 blocks across 199 districts in 18
states removed from the water-stressed list. This reflects
MGNREGS’s success in transitioning from water scarcity to
water security.
ii. Mission AmritSarovar: Mission AmritSarovar was launched in
FY 2022 guided by vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister in order to
construct or rejuvenate 50,000 water bodies across India,
aiming to strengthen water conservation efforts nationwide.
The mission's first phase exceeded expectations, with over
68,000 AmritSarovars developed, showcasing a successful
“whole of government” approach. An impact assessment by IIT
Delhi revealed a 16.3% increase in surface area of water
bodies and a 42% reduction in dry water bodies. A parallel
study by GIZ India emphasized the mission’s broader
environmental and socio-economic benefits, including
improvements in groundwater recharge, agriculture
productivity, biodiversity and rural livelihoods.
iii. Social Audit:- As per the mandate of the Act, social audits of
all the Gram Panchayats are required to be conducted at least
Page 3 of 5twice a year. A total of 27 States and 1 UT have established
Social Audit Units.
iv. Aadhaar Based Payment System: Under Mahatma Gandhi
NREGA Direct Benefit Transfer, all payments to the workers
are to be credited into the accounts of the workers through
Aadhaar based payment system. 99.6% of Aadhaar numbers of
the active workers have been successfully seeded under the
scheme.
v. GIS based plan– Use of Space Technology: GIS based GP level
plan (ridge to valley approach) preparation using Remote
Sensing technology in a saturation mode for all the GPs of the
country.
vi. Yuktdhara: GIS based planning tool – To simplify the GIS
based planning at GP level under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA “
Yuktdhara” a Geospatial planning portal is developed in
collaboration with ISRO-NRSC.
vii. SECURE – Software for Estimate Calculation for using Rural
Rates for Employment: Application is being used for estimate
the calculation of works to be undertaken under the scheme.
viii. GeoNREGA: the app has been developed by using Space
Technology to track the creation of assets by geotagging it, at
“Before”, “During” and “After” stages of the asset creation. Till
date 6.36 crore assets have been geotagged.
ix. National Mobile Monitoring Service (NMMS): enables capturing
of attendance of workers at Mahatma Gandhi NREGA
worksites (except for individual beneficiary works) along with
geo-tagged photographs twice a day.
x. Area Officer Monitoring Visit Application: This App facilitates
the officials of the State/UT to record their field visit findings
online and facilitates the officials to record time stamped and
geotagged photograph for all the worksites visited.
xi. JALDOOT App: enables Gram RojgarSahayak (GRS) to measure
the water level of selected wells twice a year (pre-monsoon
and post-monsoon).
xii. JANMANREGA app: aids in proactive disclosure of information
to its citizens as well as a feedback mechanism about the
implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.
*****
Page 4 of 5Annexure
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of LokSabhaUnstarred
Question No. 268 dated 22.07.2025.
The salient features of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS are as under:
i. Adult members of a rural household, willing to do unskilled
manual work, may apply for registration in writing or orally to
the local Gram Panchayat.
ii. The Gram Panchayat after due verification will issue a Job
Card free of cost within 15 days.
iii. The worker has a right to demand and receive work within 15
days of the receipt of the application or the date of the
demand in case of advance application, whichever is later, as
mandated by the Act.
iv. In case employment is not provided within fifteen days from
the date of registration of the demand for work or the date
from which work has been demanded in case of advance
applications, whichever is later, the worker is legally entitled
to a daily unemployment allowance.
v. Preparation of Labour Budget (LB) which is an essential annual
work plan document that entails planning, approval, funding
and project execution modalities.
vi. The shelf of projects for a village will be recommended by the
gram sabha and approved by the zillapanchayat. At least 50%
of works will be allotted to Gram Panchayats for execution.
vii. Permissible works predominantly include water and soil
conservation, afforestation and land development works.
viii. A 60:40 wage and material ratio has to be maintained at the
district level. No contractors and labour displacing machinery
is allowed.
ix. The Central Government bears 100 percent wage cost of
unskilled manual labour and 75 percent of the material cost
including the wages of skilled and semi-skilled workers.
x. Social Audit has to be done by the Gram Sabha.
xi. Grievance redressal mechanisms have to be put in place for
ensuring a responsive implementation process.
xii. All accounts and records relating to the Scheme should be
available for public scrutiny.
*****
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