CHENNAI: PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday lashed out at the Centre for its decision to cut Tamil Nadu's allocation for the 125-day employment guarantee scheme, which is to be implemented from next month.
Pointing out that since 2006, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been implemented to build rural infrastructure and provide livelihoods to the poor, the PMK leader said that the central government has made various changes to that scheme and has now introduced the 125-day employment plan, effective from July 1.
"The Tamil Nadu government must not accept this decision that robs the state of its rights," the former union minister said in a statement here.
The Parliament in December 2025 passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which replaces the MGNREGA and has a provision for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers.
According to the government, the VB-G RAM G scheme aims to establish a rural development framework aligned with the national vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.
"Although the scheme has been allocated Rs 95,692 crore nationwide, the draft allocation sent to the Tamil Nadu government shows that the state has been allotted only Rs 3,923 crore," Anbumani claimed.
"Tamil Nadu’s share of the total allocation for the 125-day scheme is a mere 4.09 per cent," he said, adding, "In earlier years the state received more than 10 per cent of allocations for the scheme, and reducing it now to 4.09 per cent is unacceptable."
Anbumani said that under the 100-day employment guarantee scheme, Tamil Nadu received Rs 12,136.33 crore in 2023–24, Rs 7,587.58 crore in 2024–25, and Rs 7,702.89 crore last year. "Critics have said even those amounts were insufficient for the state’s needs," he added.
Stating that with the current central allocation for the 125-day scheme, Tamil Nadu will not be able to provide even 12 days of work per year to those who registered for employment under the programme, he said, "It is unjust to promise 125 days of work annually while allocating funds that will cover only a fraction of that commitment".
Demanding that the Tamil Nadu government should not accept this method of fund allocation that undermines state rights, Anbumani said, "Instead, it should insist that allocations be made based on actual need as before, and demand that at least 10 per cent of the scheme’s total funds be earmarked for Tamil Nadu".