Bihar cancels 39.36 lakh job cards under MGNREGA

• The state govt's RDD canceled 39.36 lakh MGNREGA job cards of inactive laborers in the state
• State govt took the initiative because the Aadhaar card did not match with the employment cards of the MGNREGA workers
• Active laborers have to link their employment cards with Aadhaar to become eligible for jobs under this scheme

The state government's rural development department has canceled 39.36 lakh MGNREGA job cards of inactive laborers in the state. The affected workers have not worked a single day for the past three years and still earn money through this scheme.

According to the official, the state government took the initiative because the Aadhaar card did not match with the employment cards of the MGNREGA workers. Maximum number of cancellations are reported from Patna, Vaishali, Samastipur, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur and Darbhanga districts. Many laborers took money under Indira Awas Yojana and PM Awas Yojana and built their houses on the basis of job cards, but did not work a single day as laborers under MGNREGA.

The state government linked 88.31 lakh job cards with Aadhaar last year and the total number of MGNREGA workers reached 2 crore 35 lakh in the state. Officials found that 39.36 lakh job cards were fake, not linked to Aadhaar and other reasons. The department therefore canceled them. Some other job cards will be canceled in the future, the official further said.

Sources said many laborers got MGNREGA job cards and migrated from the state. Their cards are held by public representatives like mukhiya, and they collect money from the department and share the amount. As per the guidelines, active laborers have to link their employment cards with Aadhaar to become eligible for jobs under this scheme, which provides guaranteed jobs for 100 days in one year.