Starting from the upcoming fiscal year, the Central government will withhold funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from states that fail to appoint ombudspersons in at least 80% of the districts where the scheme is applied, disclosed a senior government official on Sunday.
According to information provided by the Union Rural Development Ministry, states such as Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa (all governed by the BJP), Telangana (governed by the TRS), and union territories including Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli currently lack a single ombudsperson for MGNREGS.
Similarly, certain states, such as Rajasthan (governed by the Congress), have only appointed ombudspersons in four out of 33 districts covered by the scheme. In West Bengal (governed by the TMC), ombudspersons are present in four out of 23 districts under the scheme.
Haryana and Punjab face a similar situation, with only four districts in Haryana and seven in Punjab having appointed ombudspersons, despite both states having 22 districts each covered by MGNREGS, according to ministry data.
The Secretary of Rural Development, Nagendra Nath Sinha, emphasized that states ideally should appoint ombudspersons in all their districts under MGNREGS. States falling short of the 80% minimum threshold for ombudsperson appointments will not receive funds for the employment guarantee scheme from the next financial year, as per Sinha.
The Union Rural Development Minister, Giriraj Singh, expressed concerns about the absence of ombudspersons in various districts while launching the Ombudsperson app for MGNREGS. He highlighted instances where individuals affiliated with political parties were appointed to these positions.
Singh stated that funds would not be released to states failing to appoint ombudspersons in accordance with MGNREGA provisions. He urged all states and union territories to collaborate with the central government in enhancing MGNREGA transparency through the use of the Ombudsperson app.
Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), states are required to appoint an ombudsperson for each district to address grievances, conduct inquiries, and issue awards following guidelines from the Union Rural Development Ministry, the nodal ministry overseeing the employment guarantee program.
MGNREGA aims to improve the livelihood security of rural households by providing a minimum of 100 days of guaranteed wage employment annually to adult members volunteering for unskilled manual work. The scheme was initially implemented in 200 most backward districts in 2006 and has since expanded to cover nearly all rural districts in the country.
