Lok Sabha Question No. 2568 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-16
Subject: Pending Wages under MGNREGS
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. 2568 ANSWERED ON 16/12/2025

## PENDING WAGES UNDER MGNREGS

## 2568. Dr. T Sumathy Alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has received representations from the Government of Tamil Nadu regarding large pending wage dues under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) including the communication made by the State's Finance Minister in January 2025 flagging unpaid arrears of approximately 1,635 crore from late 2024 onwards;
- (b) if so, the reasons for the delay in releasing these funds and the number of workers affected;
- (c) the  total  amount  of  MGNREGS  wage  and  material  liabilities currently pending for Tamil Nadu; and
- (d) the timeline by which the Ministry proposes to clear these dues and ensure uninterrupted wage payments for rural workers in the State?

## 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. Funds release to States/UTs is a continuous process. Under the Scheme, the wage payments are directly credited by  the  Central  Government  to  the  accounts  of  the  beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer protocol. Sanctions for  wage payments are issued daily by the Ministry through the Public Finance Management System (PFMS) based on fund transfer orders received from  the  States/  UTs    after  following    due  procedures.  At  the beginning of each financial year, admissible pending liabilities of the previous  years,  if  any,  are  duly  reimbursed  by  the  Government  of India. Accordingly, all due and admissible  pending wage liabilities

upto FY 2024-25 have already been cleared (except in case of State of West Bengal).

Ministry  has  received  representations  from  the  Government  of Tamil  Nadu  regarding  pending  wage  dues  under  Mahatma  Gandhi NREGS.

During financial year 2024-25, an amount of Rs. 5,984.03 crore has been released to Tamil Nadu for wage component under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.

With regard to Material and Admin components, States/UTs are required  to  furnish  fund  release  proposals  to  the  Government  of India.  The  Central  Government  releases  funds  periodically  in  two tranches with each tranche consisting of one or more installments, keeping in view the 'agreed to' Labour Budget, demand for works, opening  balance,  pace  of  utilization  of  funds,  pending  liabilities, overall performance and subject to submission of relevant documents by the States/UTs.

Under the Scheme, in the current financial year 2025-26 (as on 11.12.2025), an amount of Rs. 6,497.06 crore has been released to Tamil Nadu, which includes Rs. 5,836.20 crore  for wage component and  an  amount  of  Rs.660.86  crore  for    Material  and  Admin.  As Sanction for payment of wages are issued by Ministry on a daily basis through PFMS (Public Finance Management System), after receipt of funds  transfer  orders  from  States/UTs  after  following  the  due procedures, the fund release status keeps updating on a daily basis.

(c) & (d): As  on  10.12.2025,  the  total  pending  liabilities  of  wage payment in respect of State of Tamil Nadu are Rs. 304.8 crore and an amount of Rs. 622.21 crore is pending liability for material component. Central government is committed to release admissible pending liabilities to the State as per established procedure.

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