NREGA workers on an indefinite stir in Delhi demanding withdrawal of photo-attendance App 

The NREGA workers continue their indefinite protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against the use of the National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) App. The App has reportedly become mandatory for 'attendance" for the workers since January 1.

The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, a national collective of workers' unions and organisations working on MGNREGA, has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the App for marking compulsory worker attendance.

According to the Morcha, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has lately dealt three major, concerted blows to the NREGA. They are: 1) The ministry has cut down the budget allocation for NREGA to just Rs 60,000 crore in 2023-24 (less than Rs 50,000 crore if we deduct wage arrears from 2022-23). 2) The NMMS digital-attendance App was made compulsory from 1 January onwards. 3) The Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) was made compulsory from February 1, 2023.

According to Jean Dreze, who is part of the Morcha, wage payments are now conditional on timely uploading of workers’ photographs twice a day, using the new app.

"This app is causing havoc, especially in areas with poor connectivity. If a worker has worked six days in the week but the worksite supervisor managed timely uploading of her photograph on just three days, she will be paid for three days. This is grossly unfair. But it helps the central government to contain wage payments and discourage workers from applying for MGNREGA work. So, the budget cut and the National Mobile Monitoring System App are made for each other," he told the digital news publication Scroll recently.