Centre has no role to play in deletion of MGNREGS job cards, says Ministry

• Centre has no role in MNREGA job-card deletions and it is the function of the State government based on five factors, Union Rural Development Ministry said in a reply to oral questions in Lok Sabha.

Highlights:

• On December 3, 2024, the Union Rural Development Ministry clarified its stance on MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) job-card deletions and budgetary issues during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. The Ministry emphasized that the deletion of job cards is a state government function based on five key factors and denied any link between Aadhaar-based payment systems and the surge in deletions.

Key Points of Debate

1. Surge in Job-Card Deletions

• Congress MP K.C. Venugopal highlighted a steep rise in job-card deletions over the past four years, citing an increase from 1.49 crore deletions in 2021-22 to 5.53 crores in 2022-23 — a 247% jump. He questioned whether this surge coincided with the mandatory implementation of Aadhaar-based payments for MNREGA wages.

Government’s Response:

• Minister of State Chandra S. Pemmasani explained that Aadhaar seeding ensures transparency and is not a barrier to accessing MNREGA benefits. He outlined five reasons for job-card deletions:
  • Fake or duplicate cards
  • Beneficiaries moving to another panchayat
  • Expiry of beneficiaries
  • Beneficiaries opting out of MNREGA
  • Reclassification of areas as urban
• He further asserted that the Centre has no role in deletions, which remain the responsibility of state governments.

Counterpoints:

• Opposition leaders, including Venugopal, dismissed these explanations as insufficient, pointing out that they do not account for the massive deletion numbers. They also raised concerns over delayed wage payments, which undermine the programme's objectives.

2. Budgetary Allocations and Wage Delays

• DMK MP T.R. Baalu and Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil questioned the consistently lower budgetary allocations compared to the revised estimates of previous years. They argued that this reflects insensitivity towards rural distress, especially when wage payments are delayed.

Government’s Defense:

• Pemmasani stated that MNREGA is a demand-driven programme, and allocations are based on requests from states. He cited regional disparities in demand, pointing out that Tamil Nadu requested ₹12,500 crores despite having a smaller population than Uttar Pradesh, which requested ₹10,000 crores.
• Senthil countered that wage delays and restrictive mechanisms like the mobile application for attendance were creating barriers for workers, particularly in remote areas.

3. Suspension of MNREGA Funds in West Bengal

• TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee flagged the ongoing stoppage of MNREGA funds for West Bengal over the past three years, calling it punitive and unjustifiable.

Government’s Position:

• Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attributed the suspension to irregularities in the state’s implementation of the scheme, invoking provisions of the MNREGA Act. However, Chouhan faced criticism for indefinitely suspending the programme despite the Act mandating prompt resolution of irregularities.

Transparency and Inclusivity Challenges:

• While the government claims that Aadhaar-based payments enhance transparency, concerns persist about their impact on accessibility. Issues like mobile-based attendance systems and a lack of awareness about grievance mechanisms further complicate the situation.
• Opposition leaders emphasized the need for accountability in addressing wage delays and ensuring that structural flaws in MNREGA implementation do not disproportionately affect workers.

Prelims Takeaways

• MNREGA
• Aadhaar based payments