Parliamentary panel calls for major revamp of MGNREGS

New Delhi

A Parliamentary panel has suggested a complete overhaul of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to better suit present-day needs and challenges. The committee recommended an independent national survey to examine the scheme’s impact, especially on worker satisfaction, wage delays, participation trends, and financial issues.

In a report tabled during the recent Budget Session, the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, led by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, urged the government to increase the number of guaranteed workdays from 100 to 150. For disaster relief and forest areas, it proposed extending it to 200 days.

Highlighting that current wages are insufficient, the panel suggested raising daily pay to at least ₹400, noting the urgent need to adjust for inflation. “At least Rs 400 per day should be provided as wages, as the current rates are inadequate to meet even basic daily expenses,” the panel said.

To ensure fair implementation, the panel called for more social audits and proposed a dedicated Social Audit Calendar. It also pointed out issues with job card deletions due to minor errors, leading to denial of work for many eligible rural workers.

In 2021–22, over 50 lakh job cards were deleted, often due to small mistakes in Aadhaar details. The panel recommended allowing manual corrections to prevent unjust exclusions.

The Ministry of Rural Development had earlier issued guidelines for deleting and restoring job cards, emphasizing transparency, community verification, and appeal rights. However, the panel insists more action is needed to protect the rights and income of rural workers.