Lok Sabha Question No. 272 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-22
Subject: Generation of person-days under MGNREGS in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dr. T Sumathy Alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 272 ANSWERED ON 22/07/2025

GENERATION OF PERSON-DAYS UNDER MGNREGS IN TAMIL NADU

## 272. DR. T SUMATHY ALIAS THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  and  number  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) person-days generated in Tamil Nadu during the last three years;
- (b) whether  there  are  any  budgetary  shortfalls  or  pending  wage payments, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  Pradhan  MantriAwasYojana (PMAY) allocations for rural Tamil Nadu have been reduced or delayed, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the  action    taken  by  the  Government    to  address  inter-State disparity in rural road development, especially in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  adopted  the  Tamil  Nadu  model for participatory rural planning  and share best practices nationally, if so, the details thereof?

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

(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a):      Details  of  person-days  generated  in  Tamil  Nadu  State  under Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS)  during  the  last  three  financial  year  is given below:

| Financial Year                                 | 2024-252023-242022-23   |
|------------------------------------------------|-------------------------|
| Person-days generated in Tamil Nadu [In Lakhs] | 3061.114087.023346.53   |

(as per NREGASoft)

(b):    Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand-driven wage employment Scheme.  Fund  release  to  States/UTs  is  a  continuous  process  and the Central Government is committed to making funds available to States/UTs for the implementation of the Scheme as per the demand for work on the ground.

Under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, the Ministry releases funds to the  States/UTs  periodically  in  two  tranches,  with  each  tranche consisting  of  one  or  more  instalments.  The  releases  are  made keeping in view the 'agreed to' Labour Budget, demand for works, opening balance, pace of fund utilization, pending liabilities, overall performance,  and  subject  to  timely  submission  of  proposals  with relevant documents by the States/UTs.

For  the  financial  year  2024-25,  budget  allocation  of  ₹86,000 crore has been made for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS),  which was the highest ever allocation for scheme at the Budget Estimate (BE)   stage  since  inception.  In  the  financial  year  2025-26,  the Government has retained this allocation at ₹86,000 crore, ensuring continued support for rural employment.

In the current financial year 2025-26, so far, funds amounting to over 44,000 Crore (As on  18.07.2025) have been released including the complete pending wage liability of the previous year.

Here  it  is  also  submitted  that  keeping  in  view  demand  driven Development  closely seeks nature of the Scheme  Ministry of Rural monitors demand  for employment  at  ground level and additional funds from the Ministry of Finance as and when required.

- (c): No. As per the guidelines of the Pradhan MantriAwaasYojanaGramin  (PMAY-G),  at  the  onset  of  the  Financial  Year,  the  Annual Financial  Allocation  would  be  decided  for  each  State/UT  on  the basis of previous year's performances, houses pending for completion and utilization of available funds & targets allocated in the  current  year.  Under  (PMAY-G),  the  Ministry  releases  Central Share  of  funds  directly  to  State/UT  considering  them  as  a  single unit. Further disbursal of funds as installments of assistance to the

beneficiaries  is  done  by  the  State.   Since  inception  (2016-17)  Rs 5376.66 crore has been released to the State of Tamil Nadu. For the current FY i.e. 2025-26 Rs 1047.35 crore has been allocated to the Tamil Nadu State. The Ministry could not release funds to the state due to slow progress on utilization of the funds made available to the state.

- (d):   Under  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  SadakYojana  (PMGSY)-  III, 7375km length  of  roads  has  been  allocated  to  the  State  of  Tamil Nadu and the entire  length  has  been  sanctioned.  The  timeline  for the completion of ongoing PMGSY III projects is March, 2026. Under PMGSY III, candidate roads are prioritized by the States based on its  calculated  utility  value,  population  served  by  the  roads  and Pavement  Condition  Index.  Several  roads  have  been  sanctioned under  PMGSY  III  in  the  southern  districts  of  Tamil  Nadu.  The district-wise status of PMGSY III roads in the State of Tamil Nadu is available at  Programme  website  www.omms.nic.in  >  Progress Monitoring > State Abstract Report.
- (e):  Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand driven wage employment scheme with bottom up planning. The works are identified, approved and prioritized out of shelf of work by the  Gram Panchayat, recommended by Gram Sabha in each State/UT as per the  provision  of  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee Act. Accordingly, the works are approved and taken up by Panchayat as per the demand. The planning of works is done as per the estimated person days to be generated for the works in a financial year at the time of assessment of Labour Budget.

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