Mgnrega

Seeing a blip: MGNREGA work demand is down nearly 32%, shows data

Some experts said that drop in demand is mainly due to an improvement in economic activity in rural areas

J-K CM welcomes additional 50 MGNREGA workdays for calamity-hit panchayats

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday thanked the Centre for increasing the MGNREGA work limit for Jammu and Kashmir, and said this would play a vital role in helping vulnerable communities overcome economic distress in calamity-hit panchayats. The Centre has approved an increase in the number of person-days provided under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for J&K to 150 from 100. Abdullah thanked Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the decision and expressed appreciation for the Centre's swift support to J&K. "This crucial decision will assist thousands of households impacted by recent floods and landslides by ensuring enhanced livelihood opportunities and timely relief," the chief minister said. The enhanced support would play a vital role in helping vulnerable communities overcome economic distress in the calamity-hit panchayats, he said. Abdullah also congratulated Minister for Rural Development and ...

Centre approves increasing MGNREGA work limit to 150 days in J&K for FY26

The Centre has approved an increase in the number of person-days provided under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to 150 for Jammu and Kashmir, a move welcomed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had recommended extending the benefit of additional employment of 50 days over and above the 100 days per household under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the flood, cloud burst, and landslide-affected areas of the Union territory for the 2025-26 financial year. In view of the likelihood of increased demand for employment on public works due to natural calamities, it has been decided to provide up to 50 days of additional employment over and above the 100 days per household in the affected rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir for FY 2025-26, an official release said. Sinha expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh ...

Congress accuses Centre of mass deletions in MGNREGA worker database

The Congress on Monday attacked the government over the reported deletion of nearly 27 lakh workers' names from the MGNREGA database between October 10 and November 14 this year, saying this is not an isolated act but a "systematic attempt to end" the rural jobs scheme. The opposition party also reiterated its demands, including a minimum MGNREGA wage of Rs 400 per day and an immediate halt to the mandatory adoption of exclusionary technology like Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS), National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS), and e-KYC. Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, shared on X a media report which claimed that nearly 27 lakh workers' names were deleted from the database of MGNREGA between October 10 and November 14 this year, far exceeding the 10.5 lakh additions during the same period. "Another day, another attempt to deny India's rural poor their legislative right to employment. In the last one month -- between October 10th and November 14t

Calcutta HC directs immediate resumption of MGNREGA work in West Bengal

The matter was taken up by the Division Bench comprising Justice Sujoy Paul, acting chief justice, and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, after being mentioned earlier in the day

Demand for work under MGNREGA falls 35% in October, shows data

The incessant rains in rural parts of the country that continued in October as well made several work sites inaccessible for labourers and could have contributed to halting the field work

Bengal MGNREGA row: SC nixes Centre's plea against HC order to resume works

The Supreme Court upholds the Calcutta High Court's directive to restart MGNREGA works in West Bengal, ending a prolonged standoff over halted rural job funds

MGNREGA demand drops 27% in September, third monthly fall in a row

MGNREGA work demand fell 27.1% in September 2025, marking the third straight monthly decline, as kharif sowing, budget curbs and heavy rains reduced rural job uptake

Centre earmarks 65% MGNREGA funds for over-exploited water blocks

The Rural Development and Jal Shakti ministries will allocate 65% of MGNREGA funds to over-exploited water blocks and 40% to semi-critical zones under a new water security plan

MGNREGA dispute: Supreme Court to take up Centre's plea on Monday

Centre has challenged an HC order to restart MGNREGA works in West Bengal. Sanjeeb Mukherjee reports

MGNREGA man-days increased to 150 in Himachal after monsoon calamity

In the wake of rain-related disasters in several parts of Himachal Pradesh, the norms under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) have been relaxed in the state, increasing the number of annual man-days from 100 to 150, officials said on Friday. The revised guidelines will be specially applicable in areas where disasters wreaked havoc. The Himachal Pradesh government has declared the entire state as calamity hit and as such it was natural that the demand under MGNREGA would be more. Keeping this in view, the Union Ministry of Agriculture, Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development has recommended an additional 50 days under MGNREGA, which has been approved, an official release said. The additional man-days would be generated with the consent of the state and the Central government and the work would start with the budget available for the projects already approved where additional labour would be engaged, wherever required, the release said. Since the onset of ...

MGNREGA work demand dips 26% in Aug with spike in kharif sowing

While the civil society felt the drop could be due to a squeeze in funding with the Centre directing states to cap MGNREGA labour budget spending to 60 per cent in the first six months

Centre owes ₹3,000 crore MGNREGA dues to Bengal: Govt in Rajya Sabha

The Centre owes West Bengal over Rs 3,000 crore, the highest among states, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday, claiming that the funds transfer was stopped due to non-compliance of its directives. Pending liabilities in case of West Bengal include wage, material and admin component, and release of funds to the state has been stopped since March 9, 2022, as per provisions of Section 27 of MGNREGA, 2005, due to non-compliance with directives of the central government, MoS Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan said. Among other states and Union Territories mentioned in the reply, the highest pending wage liability is for Andhra Pradesh, to which the Centre owes Rs 1,684.39 crore, while it owes Bihar Rs 893.57 crore in wage payments, Rs 694.76 to Uttar Pradesh, and Rs 456.31 crore for Telangana. In a written reply to a question by TMC's Prakash Chik Barik, who asked about the pending dues under the ...

Tamil Nadu's MGNREGA efficiency outpaces bigger and poorer states

Over several financial years, the data shows that Tamil Nadu has received and utilised more funds than many larger and poorer states

Funds released for MGNREGS see decline despite higher Budget allocation

The overall funds released under MGNREGS have gone down over the last five years, even as the allocations in the Budget have gone up, information given by the government in the Rajya Sabha showed. According to a written reply by Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan to a question by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, the year of the Covid lockdown 2020-21 saw many migrant workers return to their native villages and Rs 1,11,170.86 crore was released under the rural job scheme, the highest in the five-year period. At the Budget Estimate stage at the beginning of the financial year, Rs. 61,500 crore was allocated for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). In 2021-22, Rs 98,467.85 crore was released under the scheme, against a Budget Estimate of Rs 73,000 crore, while in 2022-23, Rs 90,810.99 crore was released, well over the estimate of Rs 73,000 crore when the Union Budget was announced. In 2023-24, Rs 89,268.30 crore was ...

First announce second think: Congress slams govt over problems in NMMS app

The Congress on Thursday hit out at the Modi government over the "operational problems" related to the National Mobile Monitoring System application in MGNREGA for digital verification of attendance and works, and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the "unworkable" as well as "counterproductive" model. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said FAST is the self-declared motto of the Modi government and it actually stands for - "First Announce Second Think". In May 2022, the Modi government introduced the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app in MGNREGA for digital verification of attendance and works, and ever since this was done the Congress had been highlighting the operational problems with NMMS and how it was damaging the letter and spirit of MGNREGA, Ramesh said in a statement. "Now in a notification issued on July 8th 2025 the Union Ministry of Rural Development has finally acknowledged the various problems associated with the NMMS. It was

4.5% more households demand work under MGNREGA in June, shows data

Kharif acreage was almost 11 per cent more than last year till June 30 while paddy acreage was nearly 48 per cent more than the same period last year

MGNREGA verdict in, but tug of war between Centre, state lingers in Bengal

Even as both the TMC and the BJP claim 'victory' after the Calcutta HC's order on resumption of MGNREGA in the state, political fault lines are likely to widen before Assembly polls next year

Centre reviews HC order to resume MGNREGA in West Bengal from August 1

Kolkata High Court asks Centre to restart MGNREGA in West Bengal with safeguards against corruption, prompting review of legal and procedural steps

Calcutta HC orders Centre to rollout MGNREGA in West Bengal from August 1

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to implement the MGNREGA scheme prospectively in West Bengal from August 1. The HC said the Centre is empowered to impose special conditions, restrictions and regulations, which have not been imposed in other states of the country, so as to ensure that no illegality or irregularity occurs when the scheme is being implemented in the state. Allowing the Centre to continue its enquiry into the allegations of irregularities in some districts of the state, a division bench presided by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam directed that the scheme be implemented prospectively with effect from August 1. The court directed that the authorities in charge of the implementation of the scheme are entitled to impose special conditions to ensure that whatever had occurred three years prior should not recur. The court said that it is not in dispute that certain irregularities have been pointed out by the Centre in the disbursement of wages under the