PATNA, July 25 -- The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) review has found several deficiencies in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in Bihar, covering the period between 2019-20 and 2023-24. The MGNREGA has been rechristened as Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB-G RAM G. The report has been tabled on the floor of the Bihar Assembly in the current session. Major shortcomings highlighted in the implementation of the job scheme for unskilled workers include the non-regular conduct of baseline surveys to assess the quantum and timing of employment demand from rural households, lower verification of job cards for registered households, and non-regular preparation of district perspective plans (DPP) in sampled districts. The shortcomings were highlighted in the CAG's performance audit report on MGNREGA for the period ending March 31, 2024. The CAG stated that the non-conduct of a baseline survey in 2019-24 (the last one was done in 2015-16 and is mandated every five years) left the department without a mechanism to assess the quantum and timing of work demand at the gram panchayat level, as well as any local changes in livelihood patterns and work opportunities. Another shortcoming pointed out by the CAG concerns the verification of job cards for rural households. The central auditor stated that capturing worker's details, issuing job cards (JCs) to all registered households and verifying them were mandated under the Act. "However, as of November 2024, JCs were not issued to 1,42,746 (1.04%) and 42,171 (1.63%) registered households in the state and sampled districts, respectively. Further, only 30.12% to 53.84% of all JCs and 43.52% to 63.84% of active JCs were verified in the state," the report stated. The CAG also criticized the government for delayed payments to workers and pending works under the MGNREGA in sampled districts. The report has said that "out of total payments of Rs.20,374.91 crore to MGNREGA workers in the state during 2019-24, Rs.735.10 crore were paid with delays between 16 days and more than 90 days. "These delays occurred mainly due to delays in generating and processing of fund transfer orders at the programme officer level in blocks," the report has said. The CAG also said that "out of 12.1 million works taken up during 2019-24, 4.473 million (37%) works were completed, and the remaining 7.627 million works (63%) were ongoing (as of November 2024)....