Lok Sabha Question No. 459 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Delay in Wage Payments under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Kalyan Banerjee, Shri Sachithanantham R

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 459 ANSWERED ON 02/12/2025

## DELAY IN WAGE PAYMENTS UNDER MGNREGS

459. Shri Kalyan Banerjee: Shri Sachithanantham R:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the quantum of  wage payments towards Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme  (MGNREGS)  pending  as  of  the  latest  available  date since 2021-22, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has proposed to revise at least 400 per day as recommended by the Parliamentary Committee (May 2025), if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the details of impact of wage delays on livelihood security and distress migration therefor;
- (d) the  timeline  and  mechanism  to  ensure  time-bound  wage disbursal and action taken by the State of West Bengal in this regard; and
- (e) the  details  of  the  average  delay  in  wage  payments    under MGNREGS during the last three years, State-wise?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand-driven wage employment scheme. Fund release is a continuous process.

Under the Scheme, the wage payments are directly credited by the  Central  Government  to  the  account  of  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 after due procedures. At the beginning of each financial year,

admissible pending liabilities of  the  previous  year,  if any,  are  duly reimbursed  by  the  Government  of  India. Accordingly,  all  pending wage liabilities upto FY 2024-25 (except State of West Bengal) have already been cleared.

In  the  current  Financial  Year  2025-26  (as  on  26.11.2025),  an amount  of  Rs.  68,393.67  crore  has  been  released  to  the  States including  100%  of  pending wage  liabilities of FY  2024-25. 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 after following the due procedures, the fund release status keeps updating on a daily basis.

State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for wage component under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS  as on 26.11.2025 are given at Annexure-I.

- (b): With  regard  to  the  Committee's  recommendations  regarding revision of wage rates under the scheme, it is submitted that at as per  Section  6  (1)  of  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005, the Central Government may by notification specify the wage rate for unskilled work for its beneficiaries. Accordingly, the Ministry of Rural Development notifies Mahatma Gandhi NREGA wage rate for every financial year for States/UTs. To compensate the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA workers against inflation, the Ministry of Rural Development revises the wage rate every year based on the change in Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labour(CPI-AL). The wage rate is made applicable from 1st April of each financial year.

Using the present methodology of wage rate calculation, the Central Government has notified the wage rate and it has increased by around 5% (average) over the last year and around 29% (average) in  the  previous  5  years.  However,  State  Governments  can  provide wages  over  and  above  the  wage  rate  notified  by  the  Central Government, from its own sources.

- (c): Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand-driven wage employment  Scheme.  It  provides  livelihood  security,  i.e.  fall  back options  for  livelihood  for  the  rural  households,  when  no  better employment  opportunity  is  available.  As  per  the  provisions  of  the Act, beneficiaries are entitled to receive wage payments within 15

days of work completion. In cases where wages are not paid within this stipulated period, Schedule-II of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 provides that wage seekers shall be entitled to compensation for the delay at the rate of 0.05% of the unpaid wages per day, starting from the sixteenth day after the closure of the muster roll.

By ensuring assured employment and predictable wage income  within  the  local  rural  area,  the  Scheme  helps  reduce distress  migration,  as  rural  workers  are  able  to  access  wage employment and livelihood support within their own rural area.

(d): For the resumption of implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS  in  the  State  of  West  Bengal,  and  in  accordance  with  the order dated 18.06.2025 passed by the Hon'ble Calcutta High Court, the Department is currently in the process of reworking and refining the  necessary  modalities  and  procedures  to  comply  with  the Hon'ble High Court's directions.

(e): State/Union  Territories  wise  percentage  of  Fund  Transfer Orders  (FTOs)  generated  within  T+8  days  of  muster  roll  closure under  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  during  the  last  three  financial years is given at Annexure-II.

*****

Annexure-I Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) of LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 459 dated 02.12.2025.

| State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for wage component under   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for wage component under   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for wage component under   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No. States/UTs                                                                        | Sl. No. States/UTs                                                                        | Pending liabilities for wage component                                                    |
| 1                                                                                         | Andhra Pradesh                                                                            | 381.02                                                                                    |
| 2                                                                                         | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                         | 4.70                                                                                      |
| 3                                                                                         | Assam                                                                                     | 0.23                                                                                      |
| 4                                                                                         | Bihar                                                                                     | 7.04                                                                                      |
| 5                                                                                         | Chhattisgarh                                                                              | 3.78                                                                                      |
| 6                                                                                         | Goa                                                                                       | 0.00                                                                                      |
| 7                                                                                         | Gujarat                                                                                   | 46.98                                                                                     |
| 8                                                                                         | Haryana                                                                                   | 0.38                                                                                      |
| 9                                                                                         | Himachal Pradesh                                                                          | 15.18                                                                                     |
| 10                                                                                        | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                           | 5.48                                                                                      |
| 11                                                                                        | Jharkhand                                                                                 | 5.83                                                                                      |
| 12                                                                                        | Karnataka                                                                                 | 8.94                                                                                      |
| 13                                                                                        | Kerala                                                                                    | 248.42                                                                                    |
| 14                                                                                        | Madhya Pradesh                                                                            | 64.14                                                                                     |
| 15                                                                                        | Maharashtra                                                                               | 14.32                                                                                     |
| 16                                                                                        | Manipur                                                                                   | 4.59                                                                                      |
| 17                                                                                        | Meghalaya                                                                                 | 4.13                                                                                      |
| 18                                                                                        | Mizoram                                                                                   | 91.43                                                                                     |
| 19                                                                                        | Nagaland                                                                                  | 0.79                                                                                      |
| 20                                                                                        | Odisha                                                                                    | 11.76                                                                                     |
| 21                                                                                        | Punjab                                                                                    | 0.12                                                                                      |
| 22                                                                                        | Rajasthan                                                                                 | 627.33                                                                                    |
| 23                                                                                        | Sikkim                                                                                    | 0.10                                                                                      |
| 24                                                                                        | Tamil Nadu                                                                                | 111.54                                                                                    |
| 25                                                                                        | Telangana                                                                                 | 0.98                                                                                      |
| 26                                                                                        | Tripura                                                                                   | 2.93                                                                                      |
| 27                                                                                        | Uttar Pradesh                                                                             | 5.98                                                                                      |
| 28                                                                                        | Uttarakhand                                                                               | 0.41                                                                                      |
| 29                                                                                        | West Bengal*                                                                              | 1457.22                                                                                   |
| 30                                                                                        | Andaman & Nicobar                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                      |
| 31                                                                                        | Lakshadweep                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                      |
| 32                                                                                        | Puducherry                                                                                | 16.99                                                                                     |
| 33                                                                                        | Ladakh                                                                                    | 0.46                                                                                      |
| 34                                                                                        | Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu                                                        | 1.29                                                                                      |

*The  proposal  for  upward  revision  of  the  Labour  Budget  for  FY  2021-22  for  the State of West Bengal was not approved by the Empowered Committee, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), Department of Rural  Development  due  to  non-compliance  with  the  directives  issued  by  this Department. Subsequently, the release of funds to the State of West Bengal under the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (Mahatma Gandhi  NREGS)  was  also  stopped  with  effect  from  09.03.2022  by  invoking  the provisions  of  Section  27  of  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, owing to continued non-compliance with the directives of the Central Government by the State. Therefore, as per NREGASoft, the pending liability  pertaining  to  the  State  of  West  Bengal  (as  on  08.03.2022)  for  wage component stands at ₹1457.22 crore.The admissibility of this liability is subject to verification by the Central Government.

Annexure-II Annexure referred to in reply to part (e) of LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 459 dated 02.12.2025.

0

| State/Union Territories -wise percentage of Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) have been generation within T+8 days of muster roll closure under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS   | State/Union Territories -wise percentage of Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) have been generation within T+8 days of muster roll closure under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS   | State/Union Territories -wise percentage of Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) have been generation within T+8 days of muster roll closure under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS   | State/Union Territories -wise percentage of Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) have been generation within T+8 days of muster roll closure under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS   | State/Union Territories -wise percentage of Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) have been generation within T+8 days of muster roll closure under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| SI. No.                                                                                                                                                              | State/Union Territories                                                                                                                                              | 2022-23                                                                                                                                                              | 2023-24                                                                                                                                                              | 2024-25                                                                                                                                                              |
| 1                                                                                                                                                                    | Andaman And Nicobar                                                                                                                                                  | 7.82                                                                                                                                                                 | 38.3                                                                                                                                                                 | 4.01                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 2                                                                                                                                                                    | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                                       | 93.25                                                                                                                                                                | 99.92                                                                                                                                                                | 99.99                                                                                                                                                                |
| 3                                                                                                                                                                    | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                    | 58.86                                                                                                                                                                | 63.06                                                                                                                                                                | 72.5                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 4                                                                                                                                                                    | Assam                                                                                                                                                                | 93.04                                                                                                                                                                | 94.25                                                                                                                                                                | 97.45                                                                                                                                                                |
| 5                                                                                                                                                                    | Bihar                                                                                                                                                                | 89.61                                                                                                                                                                | 93.79                                                                                                                                                                | 92.79                                                                                                                                                                |
| 6                                                                                                                                                                    | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                                         | 66.28                                                                                                                                                                | 99.4                                                                                                                                                                 | 97.62                                                                                                                                                                |
| 7                                                                                                                                                                    | Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                                                    | 57.04                                                                                                                                                                | 55.86                                                                                                                                                                |
| 8                                                                                                                                                                    | Goa                                                                                                                                                                  | 53                                                                                                                                                                   | 32.68                                                                                                                                                                | 37.62                                                                                                                                                                |
| 9                                                                                                                                                                    | Gujarat                                                                                                                                                              | 89.84                                                                                                                                                                | 98.03                                                                                                                                                                | 99.22                                                                                                                                                                |
| 10                                                                                                                                                                   | Haryana                                                                                                                                                              | 74.63                                                                                                                                                                | 63.58                                                                                                                                                                | 81.85                                                                                                                                                                |
| 11                                                                                                                                                                   | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                     | 83.25                                                                                                                                                                | 94.64                                                                                                                                                                | 97.38                                                                                                                                                                |
| 12                                                                                                                                                                   | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                                                                                                    | 70.05                                                                                                                                                                | 77.56                                                                                                                                                                | 82.29                                                                                                                                                                |
| 13                                                                                                                                                                   | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                                            | 99.82                                                                                                                                                                | 99.97                                                                                                                                                                | 99.91                                                                                                                                                                |
| 14                                                                                                                                                                   | Karnataka                                                                                                                                                            | 95.13                                                                                                                                                                | 96.42                                                                                                                                                                | 96.77                                                                                                                                                                |
| 15                                                                                                                                                                   | Kerala                                                                                                                                                               | 86.17                                                                                                                                                                | 97.79                                                                                                                                                                | 97.45                                                                                                                                                                |
| 16                                                                                                                                                                   | Ladakh                                                                                                                                                               | 52.28                                                                                                                                                                | 48.67                                                                                                                                                                | 63.5                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 17                                                                                                                                                                   | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                                                          | 56.62                                                                                                                                                                | 49.41                                                                                                                                                                | 0                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 18                                                                                                                                                                   | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                                       | 96.26                                                                                                                                                                | 99.05                                                                                                                                                                | 99.11                                                                                                                                                                |
| 19                                                                                                                                                                   | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                          | 77.08                                                                                                                                                                | 77.03                                                                                                                                                                | 66.56                                                                                                                                                                |
| 20                                                                                                                                                                   | Manipur                                                                                                                                                              | 9.26                                                                                                                                                                 | 9.03                                                                                                                                                                 | 14.34                                                                                                                                                                |
| 21                                                                                                                                                                   | Meghalaya                                                                                                                                                            | 58.15                                                                                                                                                                | 61.35                                                                                                                                                                | 71.18                                                                                                                                                                |
| 22                                                                                                                                                                   | Mizoram                                                                                                                                                              | 85.66                                                                                                                                                                | 87.06                                                                                                                                                                | 96.34                                                                                                                                                                |
| 23                                                                                                                                                                   | Nagaland                                                                                                                                                             | 18.09                                                                                                                                                                | 41.22                                                                                                                                                                | 52.9                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 24                                                                                                                                                                   | Odisha                                                                                                                                                               | 99.34                                                                                                                                                                | 97.31                                                                                                                                                                | 98.73                                                                                                                                                                |
| 25                                                                                                                                                                   | Puducherry                                                                                                                                                           | 62.44                                                                                                                                                                | 38.25                                                                                                                                                                | 45.69                                                                                                                                                                |
| 26                                                                                                                                                                   | Punjab                                                                                                                                                               | 69.77                                                                                                                                                                | 83.34                                                                                                                                                                | 82.85                                                                                                                                                                |
| 27                                                                                                                                                                   | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                            | 79.12                                                                                                                                                                | 96.44                                                                                                                                                                | 98.85                                                                                                                                                                |
| 28                                                                                                                                                                   | Sikkim                                                                                                                                                               | 83.03                                                                                                                                                                | 87.53                                                                                                                                                                | 91.62                                                                                                                                                                |
| 29                                                                                                                                                                   | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                                                           | 97.88                                                                                                                                                                | 99.94                                                                                                                                                                | 99.98                                                                                                                                                                |
| 30                                                                                                                                                                   | Telangana                                                                                                                                                            | 46.97                                                                                                                                                                | 96                                                                                                                                                                   | 99.23                                                                                                                                                                |
| 31                                                                                                                                                                   | Tripura                                                                                                                                                              | 94.09                                                                                                                                                                | 98.41                                                                                                                                                                | 97.43                                                                                                                                                                |
| 32                                                                                                                                                                   | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                                        | 79.72                                                                                                                                                                | 91.35                                                                                                                                                                | 95.76                                                                                                                                                                |
| 33                                                                                                                                                                   | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                                          | 99.17                                                                                                                                                                | 99.85                                                                                                                                                                | 99.96                                                                                                                                                                |
| 34                                                                                                                                                                   | West Bengal                                                                                                                                                          | **                                                                                                                                                                   | **                                                                                                                                                                   | **                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Total                                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                                      | 85.91                                                                                                                                                                | 95.14                                                                                                                                                                | 94.65                                                                                                                                                                |

(As per NREGASoft)

**The release of funds to the State  of  West  Bengal  under  the  Mahatma  Gandhi National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS)  was stopped with effect from 09.03.2022 by invoking the provisions of Section 27 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, owing to continued non-compliance with the directives of the Central Government by the State.

*****