Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Delay Compensation Guidelines (Tamil Nadu), 2022

What the guidelines cover

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Delay Compensation Guidelines (Tamil Nadu), 2022 govern compensation when scheme wages are not paid within 15 days from closure of the Muster Roll. A wage seeker is entitled to compensation at 0.05% of unpaid wages for each day of delay beyond the sixteenth day, from the date of publication of the notification.

The guidelines affect workers employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, along with District Collectors, District Rural Development Agencies, Block Development Officers, Panchayat Union officials and other agencies involved in wage processing. They do not contain provisions concerning land ownership, purchase, registration, planning or change of land use.

Wage processing responsibilities

The notified process assigns responsibility at each stage:

• The Worksite Supervisor closes the Muster Roll on Wednesday.
• Village Panchayat and technical personnel handle its transfer and measurement of works.
• Engineering officials complete check measurement.
• The Computer Assistant enters Muster Roll information in the management information system.
• Designated Block officials generate the Fund Transfer Order.
• The State Government is responsible for completing its stage within eight days from closure of the Muster Roll.
• The Government of India, the National Informatics Centre, the Public Financial Management System and the nodal bank handle the second stage from the ninth to the fifteenth day.

Compensation and payment

NREGAsoft calculates compensation using the Muster Roll closure date, Fund Transfer Order upload date, duration of delay, total wages payable and the compensation rate. Compensation is not payable for natural calamities, insufficient funds, technical problems in NREGAsoft, or when a Muster Roll is frozen because of absentees or malpractice.

The Programme Officer or Block Development Officer (Village Panchayat) of the relevant block sanctions and disburses compensation. A delay of more than 15 days in paying compensation after it becomes payable is treated in the same manner as delayed wages.

Recovery and appeals

Compensation is initially paid from the State Employment Guarantee Fund. The amount must then be recovered from the functionaries or agencies responsible for the delay and reimbursed to that fund.

The approval or rejection of recovery must be completed within 15 days. A responsible official may be given a maximum of 30 days to pay the recoverable amount. Disputes about compensation or recovery may be appealed to the Additional District Programme Coordinator, whose decision is final.