The Prime Minister has directed the Planning Commission to address the deficiency and gaps in the working of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act – MGNREGA. Releasing a report card on MGNREGA 'Sameeksha in New Delhi, Dr. Manmohan Singh said the UPA government's most popular and successful flagship programme has created more than 120 million job cards each year.

The World's largest and most ambitious social security and public works programme benefits 50 million rural households in the country, almost one in four families. Dr. Singh however said that he was not fully satisfied with the way the scheme is working. There are problems of late payments, which needs to be addressed immediately. Referring to the gaps highlighted by Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Planning Commission member Mihir Shah he said these need to be fixed by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.