Page 5 - Mgnrega

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

Work demand under MGNREGA job scheme increased by 4.2% in May, shows data

Data shows that historically, May is a month when MGNREGA work demand is among the highest as traditional activities around agriculture weaken due to the lean cropping season

Registered households under MGNREGA grew 8.6% in FY25: Report

The report, 'The Missing Work: A National Review of MGNREGA Implementation,' compiled by LibTech India is based on government data as of April 7

MGNREGA work demand down 6.6% at 20.1 million in April, shows data

The FY-26 Union Budget had allocated Rs 86,000 crore for the programme for 2025-26, which is exactly the same as the revised and budget estimates of FY-25

Parl panel seeks Rs 400 daily MGNREGA wage, higher social security pensions

"Without a fair wage, the scheme fails in its objective of providing economic security to rural workers," the panel said

MGNREGA ends FY25 with 2.1% higher work demand, shows govt data

According to data sourced from the MGNREGA website as on March 31, 2025 at 1400 hours' total expenditure on the scheme (this included due payment) in Fy-25 was around Rs 125,219 crore

Govt rejects allegations of bias in MGNREGA fund release amid Oppn protest

The government on Tuesday said it has never discriminated against any state in the release of MGNREGA funds amid a protest by opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha against the alleged delay in payment to some states for the rural employment scheme. As the issue was raised during the Question Hour, the Lok Sabha witnessed protests with DMK and Trinamool Congress MPs entering the well of the House. Speaker Om Birla urged them to return to their seats, but they did not budge. Following this, the House was adjourned till 12 pm. Birla urged the Opposition not to "politicise" the questions raised during the Question Hour. Congress MP from Kerala Adoor Prakash highlighted a decline in the MGNREGA workforce in his state and attributed it to delayed payments and low wages. "Workers in Kerala have not received their wages for the past three months, and Rs 811 crore is due under the scheme. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development has recommended linking MGNREGA wages to inflation

Sonia Gandhi demands Rs 400 minimum wage, 150 workdays under MGNREGA

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday demanded raising of minimum wages and the number of guaranteed workdays under the rural employment guarantee scheme, MGNREGA. Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, Sonia Gandhi said the BJP government at the Centre has "systematically undermined" the scheme by keeping the Budget allocation for it stagnant. Adequate financial provisions be made to sustain and expand the scheme, she said. Also, minimum wage should be increased by Rs 400 per day along with timely disbursement of wages, the Congress leader said, adding that the number of guaranteed workdays should be increased from 100 to 150 per year. "These measures are essential to ensure that MGNREGA provides dignified employment and financial security," she added.

Strict action to be taken if MGNREGA funds misused, norms violated: Shivraj

The government on Tuesday warned of strict action if MNREGA funds were misused or the guidelines for the implementation of the scheme were not followed. The remarks came after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal alleged in the Lok Sabha that MNREGA funds were being misused in several states, including Punjab. "Rather than being routed through panchayats, the funds are being diverted by the state governments and are being misused," she alleged. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said strict action will be taken in such cases. "Wherever guidelines are not being followed, funds are found to be misused, and rules violated, I assure (you) that we will send teams to investigate, and strict action will be taken," he said. During the Question Hour, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee engaged in a war of words with the treasury bench members in the Lok Sabha over the "stoppage" of MNREGA funds for West Bengal. Banerjee alleged that the benefits of the MNREGA

MGNREGA work demand remains higher for the fourth straight month

Meanwhile, available funds for the scheme seems to be falling short of the expenditure and as on March 3, a negative net balance of Rs 18,681.24 crore is reflected in the books