The government has decided to examine the decline in worker participation under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Minister for Local Self-government M.B. Rajesh has said.
He was replying to a calling attention motion moved by C.R. Mahesh, MLA, on the plight of MGNREGS workers and the drop in their participation in the MGNREGS.
The Minister said stricter regulations introduced by the Union government, such as those relating to National Mobile Monitoring System that captures attendance, were primarily responsible for workers dropping out of the scheme. The Union government’s intention was to limit the scheme. An example was the lack of increase in the scheme’s allocation in this year’s Union Budget and that in the previous year or timely revision of wages. Kerala, he said, was among the top States that provided 100 days of employment under the scheme. It ranked first among States in four indicators of excellence and second in five. It was first to hold total social audit of the scheme. However, the Union government’s stance created many challenges.
The government had directed the mission director to ensure availability of safety equipment to the workers, and given permission for the same to the mission director and local bodies. The funds for the equipment could be utilised from panchayat’s own funds or the scheme administrative expenses with prior approval from the mission.
The Minister said that legal heirs of a worker who died in an accident during work or was permanently disabled were given ₹75,000 as ex gratia payment. As per the Union government’s revised annual master circular, in case of such accident the workers would get ₹2 lakh as per the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana. The government was considering a commensurate increase in the workers ex gratia payment, the Minister said.
If children accompanying the worker to the site was killed in an accident or permanently disabled, they would get ₹37,500.
Treatment was free in case of accidents at the workplace. They also got full wages for the day concerned and half the wages from the next day till the day they had sought employment for.
The State government had constituted a MGNREGS workers welfare fund board, the first in the country, Mr. Rajesh said.
Published – February 11, 2025 09:20 pm IST