Lok Sabha Question No. 403 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-22
Subject: Withholding of Funds under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Azad Kirti Jha

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 403 ANSWERED ON 22/07/2025

## WITHHOLDING OF FUNDS UNDER MGNREGS

## 403.  SHRI AZAD KIRTI JHA:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the release of funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for the State of West Bengal has been withheld since 9 th  March 2022, if so, the reasons therefor;
- (b) the details of funds released under MGNERGS during the last three years, State-wise with special reference to the State of West Bengal;
- (c) whether  there  is  under-utilization  of  funds  by  various  States and if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
- (d) the  details  of  pending  claims  submitted  by  States  for  the release of funds for the year 2024-25?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a):     As per the provisions of the Mahatma Gandhi NREG Act, 2005, it is the responsibility of the State Government to ensure transparency  and  accountability in the implementation  of the scheme.  In  case  of  the  State  of  West  Bengal,  based  on  central teams'  inspection  reports  highlighting  the  implementation  issues such  as  financial  misappropriation,  execution  of  non-permissible activities, splitting of works, lack of transparency & accountability, the  Ministry  had  sent  several  communications  to  the  State  for rectification  of  the  same.  However,  no  noticeable  improvements were observed. Consequently, release of funds to the State of West Bengal has been stopped since March 9, 2022, under Section 27 of the Act due to non compliance with Central Government directives.

- (b): Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS)  is  a  demand  driven  wage employment  scheme.  State/Union  Territory  (UT)-wise  details  of funds released under the scheme from the financial years 2022-23 to 2024-25 are given at Annexure.
- (c)& (d): Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  is  a  demand  driven  wage employment  Scheme.  Under  the  scheme,  States/UTs  furnish  fund release  proposals  to  the  Government  of  India.  Fund  release  under the scheme 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 employment on the ground.

The  Ministry  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. In the current Financial Year so far, an amount of Rs 44,323 Crore has been released to the States including full pending wage  liabilities  and  50%  of  Material  Liabilities  of  the  previous financial  year.  Accordingly,  as  on  date  there  is  no  pending  wage liability  of  FY  2024-25.  Payment  of  wages  is  done  by  Central Government directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

*****

Annexure Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (b)  of  LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 403 dated 22.07.2025

| State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of funds released under Mahatma Gandhi   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                                           | States/UTs                                                                       | 2022-23                                                                          | 2023-24                                                                          | 2024-25                                                                          |
| 1                                                                                | Andhra Pradesh                                                                   | 7989.09                                                                          | 7332.63                                                                          | 7688.29                                                                          |
| 2                                                                                | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                | 577.58                                                                           | 426.10                                                                           | 558.42                                                                           |
| 3                                                                                | Assam                                                                            | 2052.35                                                                          | 2221.38                                                                          | 1923.41                                                                          |
| 4                                                                                | Bihar                                                                            | 6395.29                                                                          | 6200.03                                                                          | 6708.48                                                                          |
| 5                                                                                | Chhattisgarh                                                                     | 3383.55                                                                          | 2888.56                                                                          | 3338.56                                                                          |
| 6                                                                                | Goa                                                                              | 5.12                                                                             | 0.88                                                                             | 3.70                                                                             |
| 7                                                                                | Gujarat                                                                          | 1692.07                                                                          | 1801.62                                                                          | 1538.79                                                                          |
| 8                                                                                | Haryana                                                                          | 373.99                                                                           | 476.71                                                                           | 587.75                                                                           |
| 9                                                                                | Himachal Pradesh                                                                 | 1157.48                                                                          | 997.13                                                                           | 1198.06                                                                          |
| 10                                                                               | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                | 1050.61                                                                          | 920.44                                                                           | 1149.89                                                                          |
| 11                                                                               | Jharkhand                                                                        | 2708.64                                                                          | 2916.76                                                                          | 2691.77                                                                          |
| 12                                                                               | Karnataka                                                                        | 6225.28                                                                          | 5415.74                                                                          | 5694.73                                                                          |
| 13                                                                               | Kerala                                                                           | 3818.43                                                                          | 3513.48                                                                          | 3124.29                                                                          |
| 33                                                                               | Ladakh                                                                           | 68.93                                                                            | 62.64                                                                            | 85.98                                                                            |
| 14                                                                               | Madhya Pradesh                                                                   | 5702.13                                                                          | 5871.14                                                                          | 6217.87                                                                          |
| 15                                                                               | Maharashtra                                                                      | 2549.73                                                                          | 3034.44                                                                          | 4405.68                                                                          |
| 16                                                                               | Manipur                                                                          | 1086.63                                                                          | 0.00                                                                             | 579.91                                                                           |
| 17                                                                               | Meghalaya                                                                        | 1116.92                                                                          | 912.33                                                                           | 1151.69                                                                          |
| 18                                                                               | Mizoram                                                                          | 538.72                                                                           | 506.06                                                                           | 608.26                                                                           |
| 19                                                                               | Nagaland                                                                         | 897.45                                                                           | 637.96                                                                           | 285.25                                                                           |
| 20                                                                               | Odisha                                                                           | 4638.36                                                                          | 4891.89                                                                          | 3744.64                                                                          |
| 21                                                                               | Punjab                                                                           | 1182.13                                                                          | 1166.55                                                                          | 1328.41                                                                          |
| 22                                                                               | Rajasthan                                                                        | 9662.99                                                                          | 8671.62                                                                          | 7572.48                                                                          |
| 23                                                                               | Sikkim                                                                           | 92.55                                                                            | 111.95                                                                           | 96.26                                                                            |
| 24                                                                               | Tamil Nadu                                                                       | 9706.62                                                                          | 12603.36                                                                         | 7552.80                                                                          |
| 25                                                                               | Telangana                                                                        | 2988.68                                                                          | 3508.59                                                                          | 3807.46                                                                          |
| 26                                                                               | Tripura                                                                          | 922.03                                                                           | 1043.59                                                                          | 1038.87                                                                          |
| 27                                                                               | Uttar Pradesh                                                                    | 10629.01                                                                         | 9808.55                                                                          | 9699.48                                                                          |
| 28                                                                               | Uttarakhand                                                                      | 792.84                                                                           | 551.66                                                                           | 623.47                                                                           |
| 29                                                                               | West Bengal*                                                                     | 0.00                                                                             | 0.00                                                                             | 0.00                                                                             |
| 30                                                                               | Andaman and Nicobar                                                              | 9.60                                                                             | 0.00                                                                             | 4.44                                                                             |
| 31                                                                               | Lakshadweep                                                                      | 0.00                                                                             | 0.00                                                                             | 0.32                                                                             |
| 32                                                                               | Puducherry                                                                       | 24.95                                                                            | 58.77                                                                            | 40.56                                                                            |
| 33                                                                               | Dadra and Nagar Haveli                                                           | 1.62                                                                             | 2.21                                                                             | 9.02                                                                             |
|                                                                                  | Total                                                                            | 90041.39                                                                         | 88554.76                                                                         | 85058.99                                                                         |

*As per provisions under Section 27 of Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 due to non-compliance of directives of Central Government,  funds  to  the  State  of  West  Bengal  have  been  stopped  since  09th March, 2022.

## *****