Kerala achieved close to 100% enrolment in the Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS) for wage payment to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers as the deadline ended on January 1, but around 1,100 people, most of them in far-flung tribal settlements, still remain outside the system due to connectivity issues.
Although the number of those excluded are miniscule in Kerala compared to the national level figures, the implementation of the new system has ended up as another case of digital exclusion. Last year, the implementation of the national mobile monitoring system to capture attendance at worksites through a mobile system had led to similar issues especially in remote regions with limited connectivity.
The Union Rural Development Ministry had earlier stipulated February 1, 2023 as the deadline for shift to Aadhar-based wage payment, which was later extended five times. Till now, wages for MGNREGS workers were being paid directly to the workers’ bank accounts. Under the new system, the wages will have to be paid to a bank account linked with Aadhaar. Although the change was proposed with an intent to bring about transparency, it has ended up excluding many legitimate workers.
