Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) provides for at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. It is fall back options for livelihood for the rural households, when no better employment opportunity is available. During the financial year 2023-24, cumulative number of registered workers was 25.68 crore whereas in the current year, as on 29.11.2024,this number stands at 25.17 crore in FY 2024-25 as on 29.11.2024 which is dynamic as Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand driven wage employment programme and as per Para 2, Schedule II of the Act, it shall be the duty of the Gram Panchayat, after making such enquiry, as it deems fit, to issue a job card within fifteen days from the date of such application.

The focus on digitalization of payment and verification processes aims to enhance transparency, efficiency, and timely disbursement of wages, ensuring workers' rights are safeguarded. To address any challenges faced during this transition, the Ministry is providing support through local grievance redressal mechanisms, training programs, and on-ground assistance to ensure that all eligible workers can seamlessly access the scheme and its benefits.

To generate awareness about the provisions of the Scheme and to provide adequate employment opportunities to rural households under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, all States/UTs have been requested to (i) initiate appropriate Information Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns including wall paintings for the wide dissemination of the provisions of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005 (ii) expand scope and coverage of demand registration system to ensure that demand for work under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA does not go unregistered, (iii) prepare plans in a participatory mode and approve them in the Gram Sabha. (iv) Organization of ‘Rozgar Diwas’.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development, Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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