Oppn alleges ‘bias in MGNREGA funds’ to states; govt rejects

Congress MP from Kerala Adoor Prakash highlighted a decline in the MGNREGA workforce in his state and attributed it to delayed payments and low wages

The government on Tuesday said it has never discriminated against any state in the release of MGNREGA funds amid a protest by opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha against the alleged delay in payment to some states.

Congress MP from Kerala Adoor Prakash highlighted a decline in the MGNREGA workforce in his state and attributed it to delayed payments and low wages. Minister of State for Rural Development Chandrasekhar Pemmasani refuted the claims of withholding funds, stating that Kerala has already received nearly Rs 3,000 crore this year. 

“Last year, Kerala got Rs 3,500 crore. The release of payments is a continuous process, and whatever is pending will be cleared within the next few weeks,” he assured the House. DMK MP Kanimozhi also raised concerns over the matter, saying Tamil Nadu had been waiting for Rs 4,034 crore in MGNREGA payments for the past five months. Responding, Pemmasani pointed out that the MGNREGA Act, enacted by the UPA government, stipulates that delays beyond 15 days incur a penalty of 0.05 per cent interest.

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