Bihar Govt contests CAG findings on MGNREGA

The Bihar government today contested the findings of CAG in the implementation of MGNREGA scheme and said the state was making available employment opportunity of 28 man-days per family on an average every year.
Commenting on the performance audit of CAG on MGNREGA during 2007-12, Rural Development Minister Nitish Mishra said in a statement that the state government had provided job under the scheme to 38,51,921 families on an average every year during the period.
Report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) was tabled in the Bihar Legislative Assembly yesterday.
Mishra said that during 2007-12, a sum of Rs 8,524.55 crore was provided to the state government under the scheme against which Rs 8,488.29 crore were spent.

The report was prepared after conducting survey in 319 units in 15 districts, 54 blocks and 250 gram panchayats for the period ending March 31, 2012.
On issuance of more than one job card to a single household, he said it did not make much difference as payment was made only on the basis of actual work.

But, still the department conducted comprehensive search and abolished 14 lakh duplicate job cards across the state last year, the minister said.
On Bihar deprived of grant of Rs 9,684.24 crore during 2007-12 in the shape of central share due to less creation of man-days, sharp increase in demand for fund without sufficient justification and unspent balance grant, he said that in the initial stage, labour budget was not prepared in time but now comprehensive changes had been done.

This is a demand based scheme as a result of which deprivation of Rs 9684.24 crore did not hold any rationale, Mishra said.
Stating that several steps have been taken to streamline the programme, he said these included observation on MGNREGA days, making e-muster mandatory and social auditing of the programme.