After 31 December 2023, all workers wishing to find employment under the Centre’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) must switch to the Aadhaar-based payment bridge system (ABPS). This means that till 31 December 2023, NREGA workers are allowed to get wages in two modes: account-based and Aadhaar-based.
Recall here that the ministry told state governments that all payments to the NREGA beneficiaries would be mandatorily made through the Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS) from February 1, 2023. It has since extended this deadline several times.
It also begs mentioning here that the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA has not adopted Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AePS) but the Aadhaar-based payment bridge system (ABPS). The government has also made attendance through the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app from January 1, 2023.
What is Aadhaar-based bridge payment system (ABPS)?
According to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), ABPS is “a unique payment system which uses Aadhaar number as a central key for electronically channelising government subsidies and benefits in the Aadhaar-Enabled Bank Accounts (AEBA) of the beneficiaries”.
To opt for the ABPS, a NREGA job Card holder must link his bank account with Aadhaar. The same account must also be connected to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) mapper.
What is NPCI mapper?
The NPCI mapper is a repository of Aadhaar numbers maintained by the APBS and used for the purpose of routing the APB transactions to the destination banks. The NPCI mapper contains Aadhaar number along with IIN of the bank to which the customer has seeded their Aadhaar number. Banks need to upload Aadhaar number in the NPCI mapper in a specified file format through the NACH portal.
How the Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB) System works?
Requirements for Aadhaar-based bridge payment system
Seeding a bank account with Aadhaar and mapping it with NPCI mapper requires providing your KYC details, biometric and demographic authentication and resolving possible inconsistencies between the Aadhaar database and the bank account. In case of any inconsistencies between any of those two and the NREGA Job Card, the wage payment may get struck.
Latest updates
Govt notifies 3-10% hike in MGNREGA wage rates for FY25
March 29, 2024: The government has increased the MNERGA wages between 3% and 10% for financial year 2024-25 (1 April 2024 to March 31, 2025). In a notification issued on March 28, 2024, the Centre said the new rates will be applicable from April 1, 2024, and will be valid till March 31, 2025. The increase in NREGA wage this year is similar to the 2 to10% wage hike announced last year. The average wage hike under the Centre’s employment guarantee scheme across India is Rs 28 per day. Also, the average wage for 2024-25 will be Rs 289 as against Rs 261 for FY23-24. NREGA wages are based on changes in the Consumer Price Index-Agriculture Labor, which reflects inflation in rural areas.
MNREGA wage list FY25
| Name of state/Union territory | Wage rate per day for FY25 |
| Andhra Pradesh | Rs 300 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Rs 234 |
| Assam | Rs 249 |
| Bihar | Rs 245 |
| Chhattisgarh | Rs 244 |
| Goa | Rs 356 |
| Gujarat | Rs 280 |
| Haryana | Rs 374 |
| Himachal Pradesh | Non-scheduled areas – Rs 236
Scheduled areas – Rs 295 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Rs 259 |
| Ladakh | Rs 259 |
| Jharkhand | Rs 245 |
| Karnataka | Rs 349 |
| Kerala | Rs 346 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Rs 243 |
| Maharashtra | Rs 297 |
| Manipur | Rs 272 |
| Meghalaya | Rs 254 |
| Mizoram | Rs 266 |
| Nagaland | Rs 234 |
| Odisha | Rs 254 |
| Punjab | Rs 322 |
| Rajasthan | Rs 266 |
| Sikkim
Sikkim(Three Gram Panchayats named Gnathang, Lachung and Lachen |
Rs 249
Rs 374 |
| Tamil Nadu | Rs 319 |
| Telangana | Rs 300 |
| Tripura | Rs 242 |
| Uttar Pradesh | Rs 237 |
| Uttarakhand | Rs 237 |
| West Bengal | Rs 250 |
| Andaman and Nicobar | Andaman District – Rs 329
Nicobar District – Rs 347 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Rs 324 |
| Lakshadweep | Rs 315 |
| Puducherry | Rs 319 |
No NREGA workers denied wage due to Aadhaar-based payment system: Govt
August 2, 2023: No worker under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) was denied wage payment due to the Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS), the ministry of rural development said today.
“To ensure timely payment of wages to the beneficiaries under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS and to address the issues arises due to frequent change of bank account numbers by the beneficiaries and subsequent non-updation by the programme officers, it has been decided to adopt the Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS), which does not get affected due to change of bank account. (This is also done) to ensure that only genuine beneficiaries should get benefit of the scheme… For this, Aadhaar-Base Payment System is the best alternative,” the ministry said.
An alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal, Sunita Mishra brings over 16 years of expertise to the fields of legal matters, financial insights, and property market trends. Recognised for her ability to elucidate complex topics, her articles serve as a go-to resource for home buyers navigating intricate subjects. Through her extensive career, she has been associated with esteemed organisations like the Financial Express, Hindustan Times, Network18, All India Radio, and Business Standard.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Sunita holds an MA degree in Sanskrit, with a specialisation in Indian Philosophy, from Delhi University. Outside of her work schedule, she likes to unwind by practising Yoga, and pursues her passion for travel.
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