New Delhi: The Union Government has approved labour budget to generate 2.11 billion person days of work under the MGNREGA across the country, Rural Development Ministry informed the Rajya Sabha Wednesday.
This does not include the state of West Bengal funds for which have been stopped by the Centre.
Cording to the data provided by Minister of State for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply in the Upper House, the projection for this year financial year — 2,11,13,40,000 person days work — is lesser compared to the previous FY when around 2,90,92,05,000 person days of employment was generated under the flagship rural employment scheme.
In 2020-21, 3,89,08,33,000 person days of work was generated under MGNREGA, while it was 3,63,32,63,000 in 2021-22.
Jyoti in her reply said that under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, states and Union Territories send a detailed proposal for the Labour Budget of the upcoming financial year to the Centre.
The proposal is considered by the Empowered Committee under the chairpersonship of Secretary, Department of Rural Development in the month of February/March, and the projected Labour Budget of upcoming financial year is decided in consultation with state governments.
The MoS also said this “agreed to” Labour Budget is an indicative number for better planning so that works can be provided against demand on time, but the state can come up with a proposal for the revision at any point of time of the financial year.
For 2023-24, the overall projection of person days is over two billion person days (2,11,13,40,000).
Among the states which have the highest projections are Uttar Pradesh (21, 00,00,000 person days), Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh (20,00,00,000 person days), Bihar (17,00,00,000 person days) among others.
The data did not mention West Bengal, and a foot note said the release of funds for the state has been stopped as per provision of Section 27 of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act due to non-compliance of directives of the Central government.
The state’s ruling Trinamool Congress has termed it “gross injustice” against West Bengal.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, better known as MGNREGA or NREGA, MGNREGA is a flagship scheme aimed at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas of the country by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
There are around 27.5 crore registered workers under MGNREGA.
PTI
