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An application filed in the Supreme Court has sought direction to the Central Government to put in place a mechanism to ensure that State Governments have adequate funds to implement the program for a subsequent month.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for the petitioner on Tuesday mentioned the matter before the bench of Chief Justice of India Justice NV Ramana stating that "there is non-payment and non-compliance of the order of the Supreme Court, there is Rs. 11,000 crores negative balance in the funds, whereas, the IA has sought allocation of more funds."

To which the bench comprising CJI NV Ramana, Justice AS Bopanna, and Justice Hima Kohli agreed to consider the matter while listing the same post vacations.

The application has alleged that the State Governments are facing a shortage of Rs 9682 crores and 100% of the allocated funds for the year have been exhausted with 5 months of the year still remaining.

It has sought urgent directions to redress this situation and provide relief to lakhs of rural poor.

In addition to this, the application has further sought urgent directions from the Court to provide 50 ‘additional days of employment' under MGNREGA to each household, to accurately allow registration of demand for work directly on the NREGA Soft (website) and issue dated receipts to automatically calculate and pay unemployment allowance at 1/4th the wage rate

It is submitted that "This Hon’ble Court has been hearing the matter related to suboptimum and irregular implementation of the MGNREGA and the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), etc with specific reference to their inability to augment rural distress and provision of relief during the time of drought and natural calamities. This Hon’ble court has directed the Government of India through earlier judgments in the present case, to immediately ensure payment of wages under MGNREGA within 15 days as stipulated under the law as well as to ensure that no one deserving of accessing food grains under NFSA is prevented from doing so."

"Through repeated assertions the Court has also directed the Central Government to implement social audits as a systemic means of monitoring to ensure that the laws in question are truly implemented in letter and spirit," the application added.

Case Title: Swaraj Abhiyan Vs. Union of India & Ors.