New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) Over 16 lakh MGNREGS workers were deleted between October 10 and November 14 this year, while around 10 lakh workers were added during the same period, the Rural Development Ministry informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

In a written reply, Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said during the financial year 2019-20 to 2024-25, the total number of job cards deleted by the states and Union Territories was 457.97 lakh, while, in the same period, the total number of job cards added was 654.22 lakh.

Asked about the deletions between October 10 and November 14, Chouhan said 16,31,762 MGNREGS workers were deleted, while during the same period, the total number of workers added by the states/UTs was 10.84 lakh.

In November, LibTech India, a consortium of academicians and activists, released an analysis stating that around 2.7 million MGNREGS workers were deleted across India between October 10 and November 14, describing the volume as "highly unusual." While the report did not establish a direct link, it noted that this increase coincided with the period when e-KYC became mandatory for the scheme starting on November 1, 2025. The surge in deletions appears to align with this immediate timeframe.

Chouhan, in his reply, said job cards can not be deleted due to NMMS and the non-linking of bank accounts with Aadhar. In another reply, MoS Kamlesh Paswan also said job cards can not be deleted due to reasons of NMMS and the non-linking of bank accounts with Aadhar or e-KYC.

A job card is a document issued by the Gram Panchayat under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) that legally entitles rural households to seek guaranteed unskilled wage employment for 100 days a year.

"However, while deleting/removing workers/job cards, states/UTs have to ensure compliance with provisions of the act and the Standard Operating Procedure issued by the ministry to ensure that no job card of deserving or eligible household is deleted/cancelled," the minister said.

According to the information provided by the minister, the highest number of MGNREGS job card deletions came in 2022-23, when 2,24,86,774 job cards were deleted, entailing 5,49,37,936 workers. The following year, 2023-24, saw 1,01,88,652 cards being deleted, entailing 2,49,75,252 workers.

In 2019-20, 14,32,908 cards (52,27,183 workers) were deleted, while in 2020-21, 27,96,689 job cards (97,21,658) were deleted, and 50,31,544 cards (1,49,09,824 workers) were deleted in 2021-22.

In 2024-25, 38,59,976 job cards were deleted.

In another reply, the ministry said in 2025-26, as of December 5, states/UTs deleted a total of 54.02 lakh workers, while 118.57 lakh new workers were added during the same period.

Chouhan, meanwhile, added that to streamline the process of deletion of Job cards, the Ministry of Rural Development has recently issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) vide letter dated 25.01.2025 to all states/Union Territories, with clear guidelines for deletion and restoration of job cards.

The SOP ensures compliance with the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS guidelines, promotes transparency, protects the rights of workers by defining conditions for deletion, setting up a grievance redressal mechanism, and ensures the settlement of pending liabilities, if any, before deletion/cancellation, he said.

He said the SOP emphasises the importance of due process, including the publication of draft lists of job cards marked for deletion, verification at Gram Sabhas, and the right of appeal for affected workers. It also mandates the linking of job cards with Aadhaar to eliminate duplicate and fraudulent entries.

These measures are aimed at preventing misuse of job cards while ensuring that genuine beneficiaries are not excluded, he said.

"The ministry is committed to maintaining the integrity of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS and ensuring that the benefits of the scheme reach the eligible rural households," Chouhan said.

He added that the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), an online platform where citizens can file complaints related to the implementation of MGNREGA and ensure their grievances are addressed efficiently, is one of the major grievance redressal mechanisms available for lodging complaints. PTI AO MPL MPL