Lok Sabha Question No. 2730 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-14
Subject: Wage Arrears under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Kalyan Banerjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2730 ANSWERED ON 14/12/2021

## WAGE ARREARS UNDER MGNREGS

## 2730.   SHRI KALYAN BANERJEE:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the total amount pending for payment to various States towards the wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) along with the reasons for undue delay in this regard;
- (b) whether the Government has allocated any amount for clearing the wage arrears under the MGNREGS and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has fixed any time limit for clearing the wage arrears under MGNREGS and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the details of claims pending with the State Governments thereto, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a)  to  (d):    Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand driven wage employment programme and funds are released to the  States/UTs  on  the  basis  of  'agreed  to'  Labour  Budget  (LB)  and  performance  of  the States/UTs during the financial year. Fund release to the States/UTs is a continuous process and Central Government is committed in making funds available keeping in view the demand for work on the ground.

Further, the funds release under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is based on the provisions of  the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and guidelines. As per guidelines the first installment of the first tranche is released in the first half of April after adjusting unspent balance available with the States and considering the pending liabilities, if any. The second tranche is released on submission of proposal in the prescribed format by the State and subject to fulfillment of all the prescribed conditions. The funds for second tranche on and after 1 st October can only be released after receipt of Audited Utilization Certificate and Audit Report of previous financial year.

State/UT-wise  details  of  pending  liabilities  for  wage  component  under  Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 08.12.2021 are given at Annexure.

There  is  a  budget  allocation  of  Rs.73000  crore  under  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS during financial year 2021-22 at Budget Estimate (BE) stage. Recently, Ministry of Finance allocated  additional  funds  of  Rs.10,000  crore   for  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  as  an  interim measure. Further, allocation may be made upon assessment of demand during the Revised Estimate (RE) stage.

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| State/UT-wise details of pending liabilities for wage component under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 08.12.2021. (Rs. in crore)   | State/UT-wise details of pending liabilities for wage component under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 08.12.2021. (Rs. in crore)   | State/UT-wise details of pending liabilities for wage component under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 08.12.2021. (Rs. in crore)   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                                                                       | State/UT                                                                                                                      | Wage liability (Rs. in crore)                                                                                                 |
| 1                                                                                                                             | 2                                                                                                                             | 3                                                                                                                             |
| 1                                                                                                                             | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                             | 73                                                                                                                            |
| 2                                                                                                                             | Assam                                                                                                                         | 42                                                                                                                            |
| 3                                                                                                                             | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                                                             | 140                                                                                                                           |
| 4                                                                                                                             | Jharkhand                                                                                                                     | 293                                                                                                                           |
| 5                                                                                                                             | Karnataka                                                                                                                     | 613                                                                                                                           |
| 6                                                                                                                             | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                | 561                                                                                                                           |
| 7                                                                                                                             | Mizoram                                                                                                                       | 103                                                                                                                           |
| 8                                                                                                                             | Nagaland                                                                                                                      | 23                                                                                                                            |
| 9                                                                                                                             | Punjab                                                                                                                        | 0.17                                                                                                                          |
| 10                                                                                                                            | Rajasthan                                                                                                                     | 241                                                                                                                           |
| 11                                                                                                                            | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                    | 7                                                                                                                             |
| 12                                                                                                                            | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                 | 32                                                                                                                            |
| 13                                                                                                                            | West Bengal                                                                                                                   | 1526                                                                                                                          |
| 14                                                                                                                            | Puducherry                                                                                                                    | 0.33                                                                                                                          |
| 15                                                                                                                            | Ladakh                                                                                                                        | 0.54                                                                                                                          |
| Total                                                                                                                         | Total                                                                                                                         | 3655                                                                                                                          |