October 6, 2023: The government has so far released nearly Rs 56,106 crore under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the ongoing financial year (FY24), official data show. The Budget estimate for the Centre’s flagship employment guarantee scheme is Rs 6,000 crore.
Last fiscal, Rs 90,810 crore was released for the demand-driven scheme as against the Revised Budget Estimate of Rs 89,400, official data show. However, funds released under the scheme stood at its highest level at Rs 1,11,171 crore during FY21.
Funds released under NREGA
All figures in Rs crore
| Year | Budget estimate | Revised estimate | Fund released |
| 2020-21 | 61,500.00 | 1,11,500.00 | 1,11,170.86 |
| 2021-22 | 73,000.00 | 98,000.00 | 98,467.85 |
| 2022-23 | 73,000.00 | 89,400.00 | 90,810.00 |
| 2023-24 | 60,000.00 | – | *56,105.69 |
Source: Ministry of rural development
In a press statement issued on October 5, the ministry of rural development said that all efforts were being made to pay wages to NREGA beneficiaries on time. During FY24 (as on October 4, 2023), 99.12% pay orders have been generated within 15 days, the ministry said, adding that states have been advised to generate pay orders in time.
“This has resulted in considerable improvement in the status of timely generation of pay order, and leading to improvement in actual time taken to credit wages in the workers’ account,” it said.
The ministry attributed the delay in payment of NREGA wages to implementation issues in states pertaining to inadequate staffing, measurement, data entry, generation of wage list, fund transfer order, etc.
In case of a delay in wage payment, NREGA beneficiaries were entitled to receive compensation under the provisions of the NREGA Act, the ministry added.
While stating that the NREGA was a demand-driven wage-employment programme and funds release to states is a continuous process, the ministry said that the government was making funds available keeping in view the demand for work.
“The ministry releases funds to states based on the agreed-to labour budget, opening balance, pending liabilities of the previous year and overall performance. The ministry seeks additional funds for the MGNREGS as and when required for meeting the demand for work on the ground,” it said.
Release of funds under the NREGA have been stopped for West Bengal since March 9, 2022, under Section 27 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, due to non-compliance of directives of the Central government, the ministry added.
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