Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday held a “brainstorming” session with various stakeholders to discuss ways to further strengthen the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). It was attended by officials from various states, 17 experts, representatives of civil society organizations, block and panchayat officials, MGNREGA workers, among others.
MGNREG planning commissioners from five states—Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha and Haryana—were also present, a source said.
In the three-hour meeting held at Krishi Bhawan, the implementation of MNREGA, implementation of National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS), delay in disbursement of funds, delay in payment of wages, non-payment and other issues were discussed. Sources said that there was a discussion about giving funds to West Bengal.
Civil society representatives were of the view that instead of making NMMS mandatory, emphasis should be placed on conducting more social audits to ensure transparency in MGNREGA. They also raised the issue of depositing funds to West Bengal.
Anuradhapura Talwar and Uttam Gayan of Paschim Banga Khet Chief Committee urged Chauhan to resume MNREGA works in West Bengal, which had been stalled since March 2022. . NREGA workers are being punished. (The embezzlers are neither identified nor punished. NREGA activists are being punished.)” Talwar said while speaking about alleged leakages in West Bengal. He also asked Chauhan to allow the release of MNREGA funds to the state.
The meeting was held when the government was in the process of finalizing the allocation for the central plan for the financial year 2025-26. Earlier this week, a parliamentary standing committee had recommended increasing the job guarantee under NREGS from 100 to 150 days and increasing wages.
Chouhan said that MNREGA is not only a scheme but also an important means of stability and empowerment in rural India.
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