Reviving MGNREGA in West Bengal: A Case Study on Governance and Technological Challenges
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Key Legislations - MGNREGA, Social Audits, Role of Judiciary); Indian Economy (Poverty, Unemployment, Social Sector Schemes); Science & Technology (Applications in governance - ABPS, NMMS).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Governance & Social Justice): Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for their protection and betterment; Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications.
General Studies Paper 3 (Economy): Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment; Inclusive growth.
Key Highlights from the News
The Calcutta High Court has ordered the resumption of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in West Bengal, which had been halted for three years due to central government fund freezes.
Legal uncertainty persists as the central government has approached the Supreme Court against this verdict.
Resuming the scheme is not possible with just an order. After a three-year hiatus, numerous administrative and technical challenges remain.
Main Challenges:
Workers and officials in the state need to adapt to the newly implemented Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) and National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) (attendance via mobile app) during this period.
Millions of workers in West Bengal are still not ABPS-eligible, which could lead to their exclusion from the scheme.
Identifying and re-enrolling 8.3 million workers whose job cards were removed from the list is a major challenge.
Suggestions: Practical solutions are needed, such as temporarily allowing account-based payments alongside ABPS, providing temporary exemptions from NMMS, and training field supervisors.
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