G.O. (Ms.) No. 143, Construction of Check Dams, Soak Pits and Dug Wells under MGNREGS, 2021
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (CGS.1) Department issued Government Order (Ms.) Number 143, dated 7 December 2021, permitting rural works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for the financial year 2021-22. It approves 10,000 check dams, 2,00,500 soak pits, 1,500 individual dug wells and 500 community group wells, at a total estimated cost of Rs.922.75 crore, subject to receipt of the Government of India share and the Annual Action Plan.
What the government approved
Government Order (Ms.) Number 143 of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (CGS.1) Department, dated 7 December 2021, approves the following works in rural areas under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme:
- 10,000 cement concrete check dams, estimated at Rs.497.00 crore.
- 2,00,500 soak pits, estimated at Rs.228.10 crore.
- 1,500 individual dug wells and 500 community group wells, estimated together at Rs.197.65 crore.
- Total estimated expenditure of Rs.922.75 crore during the financial year 2021-22.
Financial sanction can be issued only after the Government of India share is received. Expenditure must remain within the Annual Action Plan.
Who may be affected
The approved programme concerns rural residents, village panchayats, landholding households eligible for individual works, communities using shared water facilities, District Collectors and District Rural Development Agencies. The source identifies dug wells as permissible irrigation infrastructure for specified households and as individual assets for vulnerable sections, but it does not provide the detailed eligibility criteria.
All selected works require a Gram Sabha resolution. Each work must also be entered separately in Register Number 2 maintained under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act by the relevant village panchayat.
Planning and construction requirements
Government Order (Ms.) Number 143 requires the following measures during planning and execution:
- Estimates, administrative sanctions and technical sanctions must be processed through SECURE software.
- Citizen Information Boards must be provided at work sites. For individual dug wells, the information is to be painted on a wall.
- Check dam designs must consider site and hydrological conditions. Steel reinforcement must be provided in specified structural portions to prevent failure.
- Estimates are based on standard designs and the Rural Schedule of Rates for 2021-22, but actual estimates may vary with site conditions and the applicable Public Works Department Schedule of Rates.
- Labour costs are borne fully by the Government of India. Material costs are shared between the Government of India and the State Government in the ratio stated in the order.
The model estimates for check dams, soak pits, individual dug wells and community group wells are included as annexures to Government Order (Ms.) Number 143.
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Common questions
Does Government Order (Ms.) Number 143 approve an individual dug well for every rural landowner?
No. It approves 1,500 individual dug wells overall. The source refers to specified households and vulnerable sections but does not give detailed eligibility criteria.
Must the Gram Sabha approve a selected work?
Yes. A Gram Sabha resolution must be obtained for every selected work, and the work must be entered separately in the relevant village panchayat register.
Are the approved costs fixed regardless of local conditions?
No. The listed unit costs are based on standard designs and the Rural Schedule of Rates for 2021-22. Actual estimates may vary according to site conditions and the applicable Public Works Department Schedule of Rates.
When can financial sanction be given for these rural works?
Financial sanction can be made only after receipt of the Government of India share. The expenditure must also be accommodated within the Annual Action Plan.
