Executive Summary:
This document contains the answer provided by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment to the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2366 on August 4, 2025, regarding the working conditions of rural laborers. It details the government's initiatives, specifically the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), average workdays provided, welfare measures, and monitoring mechanisms. The document also includes an annexure that lists welfare measures for workers at the worksite under Schedule II of the Act.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS):**
* A demand-driven wage employment scheme to enhance livelihood security in rural areas.
* Guarantees at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to rural households whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work.
* Provides livelihood security when better employment opportunities are unavailable.
* **Average Employment Days (per Household) Under MGNREGS:**
* 2024-25: 50.23 days
* 2023-24: 52.08 days
* 2022-23: 47.83 days
* 2021-22: 50.07 days
* 2020-21: 51.52 days
* **Welfare Measures at Worksite (Under Schedule II of the Act):**
* Free medical treatment for personal injuries caused by accidents arising out of and in the course of employment.
* Arrangement for hospitalization, including accommodation, treatment, medicines, and a daily allowance (not less than half the wage rate), if hospitalization is required.
* Ex gratia payment as per entitlements under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (or as notified by the Central Government) in case of death or permanent disability due to accidents during employment.
* Free medical treatment for injuries to children accompanying workers, and ex gratia payment to legal guardians in case of death or disablement of the child due to accidents.
* **Monitoring and Implementation:**
* Implementation of MGNREGS is the responsibility of respective State/UT Governments.
* The Ministry reviews scheme performance through Mid-Term Reviews, Labour Budget meetings, and program review meetings.
* National Level Monitors, Common Review Missions, and Ministry officials conduct regular visits to States/UTs to assess implementation.
* Social Audit and the Ombudsperson mechanism are established to redress grievances and ensure proper implementation per the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, 2005.
Impact Analysis:
* **Rural Laborers:**
* *Impact:* Benefit from guaranteed wage employment, improved working conditions, medical treatment for injuries, and ex gratia payments in case of accidents, death, or disability.
* *Action Required:* Volunteer for unskilled manual work under the MGNREGS to avail of the scheme's benefits.
* **State/UT Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for the effective implementation of the MGNREGS and ensuring welfare measures are in place.
* *Action Required:* Implement the MGNREGS as per the guidelines, provide welfare measures at worksites, and ensure grievance redressal mechanisms are functional.
* **Ministry of Labour and Employment:**
* *Impact:* Oversees and monitors the implementation of the MGNREGS across States/UTs.
* *Action Required:* Regularly review the scheme's performance, conduct audits, and address any issues in implementation.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Labour and Employment: The Indian government ministry responsible for labour and employment policies.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the question was raised.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: A demand-driven wage employment scheme aimed at enhancing livelihood security for households in rural areas of India.
SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE: Minister of State for Labour and Employment who provided the answer to the question.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005: The legal framework that establishes the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
NREGASoft: Software for monitoring the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana: A personal accident insurance scheme in India that provides coverage for accidental death and disability.
National Level Monitors: Independent monitors who assess the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in various States/Union Territories of India
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2366
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025
WORKING CONDITIONS OF RURAL LABOURERS
2366. DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to
state:
(a)whether there are any plans to introduce new regulations aimed at
improving the working conditions of rural labourers;
(b)if so, the details thereof;
(c)whether the Government maintains data on the average number of
workdays available to rural labourers annually and if so, the details
thereof;
(d)the details of the facilities and benefits currently being provided
by the Government to rural labourers; and
(e)whether the Government proposes to consider the establishment
of a monitoring mechanism, such as labour tribunals at the block
levels to address labour-related grievances in rural areas and if so,
the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) to (e): Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand
driven wage employment Scheme which provides 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 a financial year to every
household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled
manual work. It provides livelihood security, i.e. fall back
options for livelihood for the rural households, when no better
employment opportunity is available.
Contd..2/-:: 2 ::
Details of average days of employment provided per
household under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the last five
financial years are given below:
Financial Year Average days of employment provided
per Household
2024-25 50.23
2023-24 52.08
2022-23 47.83
2021-22 50.07
2020-21 51.52
(As per NREGASoft)
The welfare measures to workers at the worksite
under Schedule II of the Act are given at Annexure.
The implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is
the responsibility of the respective State/UT Governments. The
Ministry has a comprehensive system of monitoring and review
mechanisms for the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. It regularly
reviews the performance of the scheme's implementation in
States/UTs through various means, such as Mid-Term Reviews,
Labour Budget meetings, Labour Budget revision meetings, and
programme review meetings. National Level Monitors, Common
Review Missions, and officials from the Ministry visit States/UTs
at regular intervals to assess the implementation of the scheme.
Additionally, Social Audit and the Ombudsperson mechanism
have been established to redress grievances and ensure the
scheme is implemented as per the provisions of the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma
Gandhi NREGA), 2005.
* *****Annexure
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 2366 for
04.08.2025.
The welfare measures to workers at the worksite under Schedule II of the Act are given below:
(i) If any personal injury is caused to any person employed under the Scheme by any accident arising
out of and in the course of his employment, he shall be entitled to such medical treatment as required,
free of cost.
(ii) Where hospitalisation of the injured worker is necessary, the State Government shall arrange for
such hospitalisation including accommodation, treatment, medicines and payment of daily allowance
which is not less than half of the wage rate.
(iii) If a person employed under the Scheme meets with death or becomes permanently disabled by
accident arising out of and in the course of employment, he or his legal heirs, as the case may be, shall
be paid by the implementing agency an ex gratia as per entitlements under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha
Bima Yojana or as may be notified by the Central Government.
(iv) If any personal injury is caused by accident to a child accompanying a person who is employed
under the Scheme, such person shall be entitled to medical treatment free of cost; and in case of death
or disablement of the child due to the said accident, ex gratia shall be paid to the legal guardians as
determined by the State Government.
*****