Stalin asks union to release Rs 2,696 cr MNREGS to TN immediately

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday urged the union government to immediately release Rs 2,696 crore under MNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) to pay wages to the unskilled workers involved in the scheme.

In his demi-official letter to union panchayat raj cum rural development minister Giriraj Singh, CM said that Tamil Nadu has always been a top performing State in the implementation of MNREGS under various parameters with job cards issued to 92.86 lakh households. Pointing out that about 91.52 lakh workers pertaining to 76.15 lakh households were actively participating in the MGNREGS works regularly, the CM requested the union minister to release the total wage liability amount of Rs.2,696.77 crore to Tamil Nadu immediately.

Seeking the minister's personal intervention for also the release of additional funds to the unskilled workers regularly, the CM said that in the financial year 2023-24, Rs.4,903.25 crore has been released by GoI for the unskilled wages to the workers up to July 19 and another Rs.1,755.43 crore was sanctioned by the GoI for the payment of unskilled wages on September 25.

Claiming that out of the sanctioned amount only Rs 418.23 crore seemed to have been released partially, leaving a balance of Rs.1,337.20 crore yet to be credited into the account of workers, Stalin said that further liability of Rs.1,359.57 crore for the wages for the subsequent weeks also not released yet, and therefore, as on October 20, 2023, the wage liability for the workers Tamil Nadu has accumulated to Rs.2,696.77 crore.

Reasoning that monsoon and cyclonic rains coupled with agricultural activities leads to higher demand for MNREGS works, the CM said that in the current fiscal, the original demand made by Tamil Nadu was 40 crore person-days, but the GoI has approved 28 crore person-days.

Up to October 23, Tamil Nadu has achieved 31.15 crore person-days by providing employment to 76.06 lakh workers pertaining to 66.26 lakh households, the CM pointed out, adding that that MNREGS is considered as an important livelihood opportunity in rural areas for many like elderly people, destitute women, women headed households, differently abled workers and additional livelihood opportunity for many in rural households, especially during lean agricultural season. The CM also cited the request made by MNREGS workers during his recent visit to Kattankulathur Panchayat Union in Chengalpattu District for the release of unpaid wages under MGNREGS to the workers immediately in view of the ensuing festive season.