Lok Sabha Question No. 438 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-04
Subject: Budgetary Allocations for the MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Tariq Anwar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 438 ANSWERED ON 04/02/2025

## BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS FOR THE MGNREGS

## 438.  SHRI TARIQ ANWAR:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that budgetary allocations for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)  have  consistently  fallen  short  of  the  demand projected  by  the  Government,  if  so,  the  reasons  for  these budgetary shortfalls;
- (b) the  details  of  the  budget  allocations,  revised  estimates  and actual expenditures for MGNREGS during the last five years in the country;
- (c) the total amount of pending wage payments under MGNREGS, State-wise including Bihar;
- (d) the  reasons for  delay  in  wage  disbursement  under  MGNREGS and the average duration of these delays during the past year; and
- (e) the  corrective  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure timely payment of wages of MGNREGS workers and to address the funding gaps in MGNREGS?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a)& (b): Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee  Scheme  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS)  is  a  demand  driven wage  employment  Scheme  and  Government   is  committed  to making  sufficient  fund  available  in  order  to  meet  the  demand  for work at ground. For the financial year 2024-25, budget allocation of Rs.  86,000  crores  has  been  made  at  Budget  Estimate  (BE)  stage, which is the highest ever allocation under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS at  the  Budget  Estimate  (BE)   stage  since  inception.  The  details  of funds  allocation  at  the  Budget  Estimate  stage,  Revised  Estimate

stage and fund released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last  five  financial  years  and  current  financial  year  2024-25  (as  on 28.01.2025) are given below:

| (Rs. in crore)             | (Rs. in crore)   | (Rs. in crore)   | (Rs. in crore)   |
|----------------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| Financial Year             | Budget Estimate  | Revised Estimate | Release          |
| 2019-20                    | 60,000.00        | 71,001.81        | 71,687.71        |
| 2020-21                    | 61,500.00        | 1,11,500.00      | 1,11,170.86      |
| 2021-22                    | 73,000.00        | 98,000.00        | 98,467.84        |
| 2022-23                    | 73,000.00        | 89,400.00        | 90,810.99        |
| 2023-24                    | 60,000.00        | 86,000.00        | 89,268.30        |
| 2024-25 (As on 28.01.2025) | 86,000.00        | --               | 82,421.05        |

- (c):      State/UT-wise (including Bihar)  details  of pending liabilities for wage component under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 27.01.2025 are given at Annexure.
- (d)&(e): As  per  the  provision  of  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the beneficiaries are entitled to get wage payment within 15 days of closure of Muster Roll of the work.  Government  of  India  has  also  issued  a  detailed  Standard Operating  Procedure  (SOP)  to  the  States  to  ensure  timely  wage payment. The Ministry along with the States/UTs has been making concerted  efforts  for  improving  the  timely  payment  of  wages. States/UTs have been advised to generate pay orders in time. The Ministry has taken various steps to ensure timely payment of wages to  workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). These include:
- (i)  Upscaling of National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS)
- (ii) Intensive consultation with State Governments and other stakeholders to strategise timely payment of wages, verification of pending compensation claims etc.
- (iii)  Formulation of Standard Operating Procedure for monitoring of timely payment and payment of compensation.

(iv) During Annual Action Plan finalization meeting, Mid-Term review meeting, Labour Budget revision meeting, Monthly review meeting, as well as State/UT visit by senior officers, the issue of the status of timely payment of wages and payment of delay compensation is also reviewed.

These  initiatives  have  helped  in  timely  generation  of  Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs)  within 15 days from the closure of muster rolls.    The  details  of  FTOs  generated  within  15  days  during  last three financial year and current financial year (as on 29.01.2025) is given below:

| Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) generated within 15 days from the closure of muster rolls under Mahatma Gandhi NREG during the last three financial year and current financial year (as on 29.01.2025).   | Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) generated within 15 days from the closure of muster rolls under Mahatma Gandhi NREG during the last three financial year and current financial year (as on 29.01.2025).   | Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) generated within 15 days from the closure of muster rolls under Mahatma Gandhi NREG during the last three financial year and current financial year (as on 29.01.2025).   | Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) generated within 15 days from the closure of muster rolls under Mahatma Gandhi NREG during the last three financial year and current financial year (as on 29.01.2025).   | Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) generated within 15 days from the closure of muster rolls under Mahatma Gandhi NREG during the last three financial year and current financial year (as on 29.01.2025).   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Financial Year                                                                                                                                                                                        | 2024-25                                                                                                                                                                                               | 2023-24                                                                                                                                                                                               | 2022-23                                                                                                                                                                                               | 2021-22                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| %Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) generated within 15 days                                                                                                                                                 | 98.47                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 97.91                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 92.5                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 96.54                                                                                                                                                                                                 |

(As per NREGASoft)

*****

Annexure Annexure  referred  in  reply  to  part  (c)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred Question No. 438 dated 04.02.2025.

| State/UT-wise details of pending liabilities for component under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on (Rs. in crore)   | State/UT-wise details of pending liabilities for component under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on (Rs. in crore)   | wage 27.01.2025   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                                                      | States/UTs                                                                                                   |                   |
| 1                                                                                                            | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                               | 67.35             |
| 2                                                                                                            | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                            | 28.65             |
| 3                                                                                                            | Assam                                                                                                        | 140.34            |
| 4                                                                                                            | Bihar                                                                                                        | 670.01            |
| 5                                                                                                            | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                 | 175.86            |
| 6                                                                                                            | Goa                                                                                                          | 0.33              |
| 7                                                                                                            | Gujarat                                                                                                      | 62.67             |
| 8                                                                                                            | Haryana                                                                                                      | 26.06             |
| 9                                                                                                            | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                             | 89.60             |
| 10                                                                                                           | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                                            | 72.13             |
| 11                                                                                                           | Jharkhand                                                                                                    | 117.45            |
| 12                                                                                                           | Karnataka                                                                                                    | 140.41            |
| 13                                                                                                           | Kerala                                                                                                       | 485.99            |
| 14                                                                                                           | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                               | 261.50            |
| 15                                                                                                           | Maharashtra                                                                                                  | 278.61            |
| 16                                                                                                           | Manipur                                                                                                      | 48.00             |
| 17                                                                                                           | Meghalaya                                                                                                    | 65.74             |
| 18                                                                                                           | Mizoram                                                                                                      | 17.73             |
| 19                                                                                                           | Nagaland                                                                                                     | 3.73              |
| 20                                                                                                           | Odisha                                                                                                       | 118.22            |
| 21                                                                                                           | Punjab                                                                                                       | 64.71             |
| 22                                                                                                           | Rajasthan                                                                                                    | 472.54            |
| 23                                                                                                           | Sikkim                                                                                                       | 3.24              |
| 24                                                                                                           | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                   | 1652.45           |
| 25                                                                                                           | Telangana                                                                                                    | 15.46             |
| 26                                                                                                           | Tripura                                                                                                      | 114.59            |
| 27                                                                                                           | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                | 1214.85           |
| 28                                                                                                           | Uttarakhand                                                                                                  | 22.26             |
| 31                                                                                                           | Puducherry                                                                                                   | 1.09              |
| 32                                                                                                           | Ladakh                                                                                                       | 2.37              |
|                                                                                                              | Total                                                                                                        | 6433.95           |

## *****