Annual MGNREGS workdays : Manipur occupies last spot, Mizoram tops
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 21 2018: Whereas neighbouring Mizoram has earned the distinction of being the top State in the whole country in terms of providing maximum number of workdays in a year under the flagship programme of MGNREGS, Manipur occupies the other extreme end.

MGNREGS aims at providing 100 days of work in a year to rural people but the number of workdays provided under the same scheme in Manipur in a year is even lower than the National average.

According to data collected by the Ministry of Rural Development based on performances of States during 2017-18, the National average of working days provided by MGNREGS in a year is 45 but the State's figure stands at a dismal 12, informed a source.

The State Government received a total amount of Rs 204.83 crore under MGNREGS during 2017-18.This included Central share of Rs 157.79 crore and State share of Rs 17.53 crore.

Out of the total amount, 94 per cent, i.e Rs 194.46 crore was expended.

Annual MGNREGS workdays : Manipur occupies last spot, Mizoram tops

Incidentally, there are 5.46 lakh active job card holders in the State.

Against the total amount spent for the scheme, 28.77 pc was transferred from a single bank account to bank/post office accounts of job card holders through Electronic Fund Management System (EFMS).

Daily wage entitled to job card holders in the State is Rs 204.Out of the total 34 States/Union Territories of the country, Mizoram occupies the top position with 73 working days in a year, followed by Meghalaya (68), West Bengal (59), Nagaland (57), Jammu and Kashmir (54), Sikkim (54), Andhra Pradesh (53), Rajasthan (53), Chattisgarh (51) and Maharastra (48) .

With 15 working days of MGNREGS in a year, Goa is one place better than Manipur which occupies the bottommost position, said the source.

While 3597 numbers of works were completed under MGNREGS during the last financial year, 7365 works are presently going on in the State.

Of the total number of works executed under MGNREGS in the State, 58percentwere related to agriculture and allied activities.

It is reported that there is no fund limit for MGNREGS.

StateGovtscan demand funds from theCentre based on their requirements.

Notably, the Central Govt earmarked Rs 45,000 crore in the budget during the previous financial year.

Withholding funds released by the State Finance Department fora long time after they have been released by the Centre is one major factor for the dismal performance of Manipur in executing MGNREGS.

As the funds were released every late, they could not be utilised completely.

Even if the funds were utilised somehow, it was always late to seek further instalments, said the source.

Even though the Government of India released Rs 60 crore in April last year, the State Govt released the money only in October/November.

For the current financial year, the Ministry has already released Rs 115 crore and the same amount has been deposited in the account of the State Finance Department.

It is said that the amount would be enough to give seven days' job to the 5.46 lakh job card holders of the State.

Even though EFMS is now applicable in the valley districts for payment of MGNREGS wages, the situation is quite different in the hill districts.

If National EFMS can be applied throughout the State, the Finance Department would not be able to hold back MGNREGS funds as the beneficiaries' wages would be transferred directly to their accounts from the Ministry's pool, and the beneficiaries would be able to withdraw their wages every 15 days, said the source.

But application of National EFMS requires linking job cards and Aadhaar cards with bank/post office accounts.

Linking Aadhaar cards with bank accounts has been completed by 80/90 per cent in the valley districts but the figure is quite low in the hill districts.

As such, extensive application of EFMS would not be possible any time soon, said the source.

Notably, the State Govt's proposal to introduce National EFMS in the valley districts was rejected by the Ministry, added the source.