Lok Sabha Question No. 5234 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Provision for Extending Workdays under MGNREGS
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dr. Kadiyam Kavya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5234

## ANSWERED ON 24/03/2026

## PROVISION FOR EXTENDING WORKDAYS UNDER MGNREGS

## 5234. Dr. Kadiyam Kavya:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the provision for extending employment up to 125 days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS)  has  been  implemented  in
- Warangal district of Telangana;
- (b) if so, the number of households that have availed more than 100 days of employment during the last two financial years;
- (c) the details and current status of water conservation, farm pond, check dam, irrigation and groundwater recharge works undertaken under MGNREGS in Warangal during the said period, along with their current status; and
- (d) the  funds  allocated,  released  and utilised under MGNREGS in Warangal district during the last two financial years, along with details of any pending wage liabilities?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  &  (b):      The  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005, is an Act to provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas  of  the  country  by  providing  at  least  one  hundred  days  of guaranteed  wage  employment  in  every  financial  year  to  every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

The Ministry mandates the provision of an additional 50 days of wage  employment  (beyond  the  stipulated  100  days)  to  every Scheduled  Tribe  Household  in  a  forest  area,  provided  that  these households have no other private property except for the land rights provided under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.

In  addition  to  this,  there  is  a  provision  for  providing  up  to  an additional  50  days  of  wage  employment  in  a  financial  year  in drought/natural calamity-affected notified rural areas. Further, as per Section 3(4) of the Act, the State Governments may make provision for  providing  additional  days  of  employment  beyond  the  period guaranteed under the Act from their own funds.

Here it is stated that Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  is being implemented in Rural areas of all districts of Telangana, including Warangal. Number of households who have availed more than 100 days of employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last two financial years is given below:

| Financial Year   |   Warangal district |   Telangana |   National |
|------------------|---------------------|-------------|------------|
| 2023-24          |                  42 |        5902 |    1077771 |
| 2024-25          |                  29 |        5969 |    1283317 |

As per NREGASoft

Here  it  is  also  stated  that  in  December  2025,  Parliament  has passed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB GRAM-G) Act, 2025. This Act, which will replace the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, 2005, aims to provide 125 days of unskilled wage employment in rural areas of States/UTs. However implementation of the Act yet to commence.

## (c):     As mentioned in Para 4(1) of the Schedule I of Mahatma Gandhi NREG Act 2005, the following water related works are permissible.

- i. Water Conservation and water harvesting structures to augment  and  improve  ground  water  like  underground  dykes, earthen dams, stop dams, check dams and roof top rain water harvesting  structures  in  Government  or  Panchayat  buildings with  special  focus  on  recharging  ground  water  including drinking water sources;
- ii. watershed  management  works  such  as  contour  trenches, terracing,  contour  bunds,  boulder  checks,  gabion  structures and  spring  shed  development  resulting  in  comprehensive treatment of a watershed;
- iii. Micro and minor irrigation works and creation, renovation and maintenance of irrigation canal and drains;
- iv. Renovation  of  traditional  water  bodies  including  desilting  of irrigation tanks and other water bodies and conservation of old step well/baolis are permissible activities.

Apart from the above there are some other water related works are  also  being  taken  up  under  the  Scheme  in  the  individual beneficiary land and disaster management.

Details of water related works in Warangal district of Telangana under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last two financial years is given below:

| Financia Year   | Number of Water Related works   | Number of Water Related works   | Expenditure on Water Related works [In.   |
|-----------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
|                 | Ongoing                         | Completed                       | Lakhs]                                    |
| 2023-24         | 3175                            | 2487                            | 2311.36                                   |
| 2024-25         | 2173                            | 2112                            | 4219.21                                   |

(d):    Under the scheme, the wage payments are directly credited by the Central Government to the accounts of the beneficiaries through the 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  West Bengal).

Under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 18.03.2026, an amount of Rs. 327.81 crore is pending liability for the wage component in case of State of Telangana.

Under the Scheme, amounts of Rs. 1785.29 crore and Rs. 2782.79 crore have been released to Telangana towards the wage component for the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively.

Under the Scheme, in the current financial year 2025-26 (as on 18.03.2026), an amount of Rs. 1754.39 crore has been released to Telangana  for  the  wage  component.  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.

Details  of  total  expenditure  in  Warangal  district  of  Telangana under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the last two financial years are given below:

| Financial Year   | Total Expenditure (Rs. in Lakhs.)   |
|------------------|-------------------------------------|
| 2023-24          | 7,343.82                            |
| 2024-25          | 9,799.17                            |

As per NREGASoft

Here it is also stated that no direct release of fund from Central Government to districts are done under the scheme. *****