News Highlights:
The Union government makes digitally capturing MGNREGA attendance universal from January 1.
Key Takeaway:
The Union government, arguing for transparency and accountability had started a pilot project to capture attendance via a mobile application, the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS).
MGNREGA attendance through NMMS:
- Background:
- The Union government has made capturing attendance through its app, National Mobile Monitoring System, compulsory at worksites where 20 or more workers are employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
- The decision comes despite many problems, including patchy Internet connectivity in rural areas and little or no technical support.
- The Rural Development Ministry started the exercise on a pilot basis on May 21 last year. Initially, the utilisation of application was to be voluntary, but from May 16 this year, it has been made mandatory.
- The Ministry’s directive claims that the app, which requires two time-stamped and geotagged photographs of the workers in a day, encourages transparency and increases citizen oversight.
- Drawbacks:
- Lack of access to digital devices:
- Having a smartphone is now mandatory for mates to record attendance on the NMMS.
- However, many from poorer households don’t have access to smartphones.
- Language issues:
- The app has been designed entirely in English, And there is no technical help to redress problems.
- Discourages mates:
- Women employees, especially the supervisors or “workmates”, have faced the most significant setback from the move.
- In most cases, the employees’ families oppose giving women phones, especially smartphones. Hence, many women have dropped out.
- Two-time stamped photographs:
- photographs of the workers around 11 a.m. and another after 2 pm.
- For task-based work, the workers had to stay back after 2 p.m. even if they had completed their work to take a photograph to be eligible for the wages.
- Lack of access to digital devices:
National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS):
- About:
- The Minister of Rural Development launched the National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) App on May 21 2021.
- This app aims to bring more transparency and ensure proper monitoring of the schemes.
- The NMMS App permits real-time attendance of workers at Mahatma Gandhi NREGA worksites along with the geo-tagged photographs.
- The app helps in increasing citizen oversight of the programme.
- The National Mobile Monitoring App applies to the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA workers for all the States/ Union Territories.
- Significance:
- The usage of the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) is 50% or less in many states even after the Union government’s order making it mandatory to record attendance of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
- In the past year, the Union government has resolved some critical issues. Under the MGNREG Act, workers can do time-bound or task-based work.
MGNREG Act:
- About:
- MGNREGA is one of the most extensive work guarantee programmes in the world launched in 2005 by the Ministry of Rural Development.
- The scheme’s primary objective is to guarantee 100 days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work.
- As of 2022-23, 15.4 crores of active workers are under the MGNREGA.
- Right to work:
- The act addresses chronic poverty’s causes through a rights-based framework.
- At least one-third of beneficiaries have to be women.
- Wages must be paid according to the statutory minimum wages specified for agricultural labourers in the state under the Minimum Wages Act 1948.
- Demand-Driven Scheme:
- The most crucial part of MGNREGA’s design is its legally-backed guarantee for any rural adult to get work within 15 days of demanding it, failing which an ‘unemployment allowance’ must be given.
- This demand-driven scheme enables the self-selection of workers.
- Decentralised planning:
- There is an emphasis on strengthening the process of decentralisation by giving a significant role in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in planning and implementing these works.
- The act mandates Gram sabhas to recommend the works to be undertaken, and they must execute at least 50% of the works.
Pic Courtesy: Freepik
Content Source: The Hindu