World · India Bureau
Centre clarifies e-KYC not mandatory for rural employment under MGNREGA
The Union Ministry of Rural Development has reassured that pending e-KYC verification will not bar workers from accessing employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The ministry has called on states and union territories to accelerate the verification process.
LSN India ·
The Centre has moved to allay concerns among rural workers regarding employment eligibility, stating that incomplete e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) documentation will not prevent individuals from demanding or receiving work under MGNREGA. The clarification comes as states continue migrating registered workers to the Village Based Green Resilience and Agriculture Mission (VB-G RAM G) platform.
According to the Union Rural Development Ministry, workers whose e-KYC verification remains pending can still access employment opportunities and receive wages without delay. The assurance addresses apprehensions among rural labourers who feared administrative delays in digital verification could disrupt their livelihoods.
The ministry has simultaneously urged all states and union territories to expedite the e-KYC verification process to ensure smoother administration of the scheme. Officials emphasized that while digital verification is part of the modernization drive, it should not become a barrier to employment access for eligible workers.
The VB-G RAM G platform represents the government's effort to digitize and streamline the MGNREGA ecosystem. The migration of registered workers to the new system is ongoing, with the ministry maintaining that all existing employment rights and guarantees remain intact during the transition period.