The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) saw the deletion of more than 35 lakh job cards in the current fiscal year, while over 38 lakh new job cards were issued, according to the government's data presented in the Rajya Sabha.
The exercise, aimed at maintaining accurate records, has led to changes in the beneficiary list, with job cards being deleted for various reasons, including fake entries and families no longer wishing to work.
Union Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan explained that job cards cannot be deleted solely due to non-linkage with Aadhaar.
"Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), Aadhar Payment Bridge System is only a mode of payment and job cards cannot be deleted due to reason of non-linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts," he said in his written reply.
Paswan clarified that the process of updating and deleting job cards is a regular exercise conducted by states and Union Territories.
“In the current financial year 2024-25 (as on 16.12.2024), a total number of 35.57 lakh job cards have been deleted,” he added.
The deletions occurred for reasons such as the presence of fake or incorrect information, duplication of cards, households unwilling to work, permanent migration of families, and the death of the sole individual listed on a job card.
At the same time, a total of 38.52 lakh new job cards have been issued in the current fiscal year, Paswan further informed.
He also assured that beneficiaries who had been removed from the system for reasons like unwillingness to work or shifting permanently out of the gram panchayat could have their cards reactivated if they later expressed a willingness to participate in the scheme.
“The state governments have been provided with an option to reactivate their job cards,” Paswan said.
After verification, the programme officer may direct the gram panchayat to cancel any particular job card. Furthermore, all changes—whether additions, deletions, or cancellations—must be made public and presented to the gram sabha or the ward sabha.
These updates are also to be reported to the programme officer and reflected in the management information system.
The minister also emphasised that state governments and Union Territories are regularly sensitised during various review meetings to ensure the deletion of job cards follows due procedure.
MGNREGS, often referred to simply as NREGA, is designed to enhance the livelihood security of rural households by guaranteeing at least 100 days of wage employment per year to adult members of any household willing to undertake unskilled manual work.
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