The Indian government has mandated the usage of an aadhar-based payment system(ABPS) for all workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Empployment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA) commencing in 2024.
The ABPS utilizes the unique 12-digit aadhar number as a financial address for seamless wage disbursals. The government's decision, initiated with an order on January 30, 2023 and subsequent extensions throughout the year faced it's final deadline on december 31, 2023.
The decision not to extend the deadline was met with criticism, particularly from active workers who have contributed at least one day's work over the past three financial years. Out of the 25.25 crore registered workers, 14.35 crore were classified as active workers. Despite their status, 12.7 percent were deemed ineligible for ABPS as of December 27.
Sources suggest that state governments have been under pressure to delete job cards deemed ineligible for Aadhaar-linked payments, aiming for 100 percent ABPS-eligible job cards. Chakradhar Buddha, a senior researcher at Lib Tech India, expressed concern over the pressure, stating that approximately 7.6 crore workers have been deleted in the last 21 months, largely due to ABPS ineligibility.
Critics argue that the mandatory implementation of ABPS, coupled with a significant portion of MGNREGA workers being rendered ineligible, could deny the right to work. Chakradhar Buddha urged a reevaluation of the ABPS mandate, emphasizing the need to reinstate workers erroneously deleted from the system.
While the government asserts that ABPS will facilitate speedy payments and reduce rejections, concerns persist regarding the potential denial of the fundamental right to work for a substantial number of MGNREGA workers. The debate however, surrounding this mandate is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.
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