Anbumani slams reduction in MGNREGS work days

CHENNAI: PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss has strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu government for failing to ensure adequate work allocation under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) during the present year.

In a statement, he said that only one-third of the required employment has been provided so far, leaving lakhs of rural families distressed. "Tamil Nadu had received allocations of up to 4 crore man-days in previous years. However, the current year's allocation of 12 crore man-days is insufficient even for four months of employment demand. Despite this, the DMK government did not urge the Union Government in time to increase the sanctioned workdays, " he said.

He accused the state government of stretching the allotted work across nine months, even though the average 16 days of work should have been completed within four months. This delay, he warned, amounts to a "grave betrayal" of the people, who depend on the scheme for essential livelihood support.

Anbumani further criticised the government for writing to the Centre seeking additional workdays only now, saying it was like "grabbing the tail after letting the head slip away."

Emphasising that MGNREGS plays a crucial role in strengthening rural households and must continue to contribute to Tamil Nadu's development, he urged the Union Government to immediately sanction an additional 120 million person-days so that rural workers do not suffer due to what he described as the state's negligence