To plug leakages in implementation of MGNREGA, the Centre is planning to introduce Mobile Monitoring System for effective execution of works under the rural job scheme.

Union Rural Development Ministry officials said the system will be introduced on a pilot basis to allow real time monitoring of all projects, workers attendance and work site measurement.

“The move is likely to plug leakages in the rural job scheme,” an official said.

Listing out the steps taken by the government to bring in more transparency in implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the officials said the Centre has recently sanctioned Rs 147 crore to the states to strengthen the social audit structures.

Social audit ensures comprehensive public scrutiny of records and accounts with a view to enhance transparency and accountability. According to the officials, the additional grant was sanctioned as states were finding it difficult to put the necessary institutional structures for social audit within the overall six percent administrative cost.

The government has admitted that MGNREGA has received serious criticism on account of perceived misappropriations and leakages under the scheme. There are several field studies that confirm the fact that, given the scale of the programme, there are large-scale discrepancies at state/district levels.