Rural Employment Guarantee: From MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G
Leakages, Corruption and Social Audits
Fake muster rolls and inflated bills were persistent problems, and social audits, where villagers review the records, were introduced to fight them.
Money for the poor attracts thieves.
Forms of leakage
Ghost workers, inflated measurements and middlemen took cuts.
Social audits
The law required villagers to review records in public meetings, and Andhra Pradesh built a strong system.
Technology
Digital muster rolls, geotagged photos of assets and direct bank payments aimed to reduce fraud.
Trade-offs
Tight technology rules can also exclude genuine workers, for example through failed Aadhaar matching.
Villagers gather to read out the muster roll and question payments for work that never took place.
Human oversight remains vital.
- Leakages included ghost workers.
- Social audits involve villagers.
- Digital tools help.
- Rules can exclude real workers.
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