Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program, MGNREGA was earlier known as National Rural Employment Scheme, NREGA. It is an Indian Social Welfare Program that aimed at fulfilling the 'Right to Work' provisions made in the Constitution. MGNREGA was launched in 2006 under Rural Employment Sector by the Ministry of Rural Development. Main objective of the program is to give legal guarantee of wage employment to the adult members of rural households who are willing to do unskilled manual labour work subject to a maximum of 100 days per year for every household. Every rural household has the right to register under the scheme, job card is issued to the registered, Job Card holder can seek employment; State Government shall pay 25% of minimum wage for the first 30 days as compensatory daily unemployment allowance to the families and of wage for remaining period of the year. MGNREGA work was undertaken by various Gram Panchayats. You have been appointed as an Administrator Incharge of the District. You have been given the responsibility of monitoring MGNREGA work undertaken by various Gram Panchayats. You are also given the authority to give technical sanctions to all MGNREGA works. In one of the Panchayats in your jurisdiction, you notice that your predecessor has mismanaged the Program in terms of : Money not disbursed to actual job-seekers. Muster Rolls of the Labourers not properly maintained. Mismatch between the work done and payments made. Payments made to fictitious persons. Job Cards were given without looking into the need of person. Mismanagement of funds and to the extent of siphoning of funds. Approved works that never existed. (a) What is your reaction to the above situation and how do you restore the proper functioning of MGNREGA Program in this regard ? (b) What actions would you initiate to solve the various issues listed above ? (c) How would you deal with the above situation ?(Answer in 250 words)

2025

Marks

Introduction

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a landmark welfare programme

ensuring the right to work and livelihood security for rural households, while also promoting

inclusive development and rural asset creation. However, issues such as fake beneficiaries, fund

siphoning, and poor record-keeping undermine both public trust and the core objectives of the scheme.

As District Administrator, the situation demands not only administrative efficiency but also adherence

to ethical principles of accountability, transparency, integrity, and responsiveness.

Order a comprehensive audit and physical verification of all ongoing and completed MGNREGA works in the Panchayat.
Initiate an independent social audit involving Gram Sabha and civil society to ensure participatory oversight.
Freeze or halt suspicious transactions and payments until discrepancies are verified.
Deploy senior officers for on-ground inspection to assess the extent of irregularities.
Establish a grievance redressal mechanism for workers to report issues transparently.

Verification of Beneficiaries: Ensure Aadhaar-based authentication and eliminate ghost or duplicate job cards.
Accurate Muster Rolls: Introduce digital attendance systems, biometric verification, and geo-tagging of worksites.
Financial Transparency: Strengthen Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanisms to ensure wages reach genuine beneficiaries without intermediaries.
Accountability and Punitive Action: Conduct thorough investigations and initiate disciplinary and legal action against corrupt officials and intermediaries.
Capacity Building: Train Panchayat officials and field staff on scheme guidelines, record maintenance, and ethical conduct.
Technology Integration: Use MIS dashboards and mobile-based monitoring to track real-time progress and prevent leakages.

Uphold Nolan Principles such as Integrity, Accountability, Openness, and Leadership in all actions.
Adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption while ensuring fairness and due process.
Encourage community participation through Gram Sabha oversight, enhancing social accountability.
Promote transparency by publicly displaying details of beneficiaries, funds allocated, and works completed.
Apply Utilitarian ethics by ensuring maximum benefit reaches the rural poor, and Deontological ethics by strictly following rules and procedures.