Odisha, Andhra, Maharashtra Among States With Highest Pending MGNREGS Wages, Govt Tells Lok Sabha – News18
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According to a written reply from the union minister of rural development in the lower house of Parliament, 13 states have total pending liabilities of Rs 66,150.28 lakh in wages under MGNREGS in 2024-25
MGNREGS is a demand-driven wage employment scheme. Representational image
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra are among the states with the highest number of fund transfer orders (FTOs), meaning workers’ wages, pending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
According to a written reply from the union minister of rural development in the lower house of Parliament, 13 states have total pending liabilities of Rs 66,150.28 lakh in wages under MGNREGS in 2024-25.
The 13 states include Odisha (Rs 13,904.09 lakh), Andhra Pradesh (Rs 13,767.05 lakh), Maharashtra (Rs 10,317.26 lakh), Assam (Rs 6,572.52 lakh), Mizoram (Rs 4,422.68 lakh), Gujarat (Rs 3,942.01 lakh), Uttarakhand (Rs 3,750.02 lakh), Manipur (Rs 3,715.25 lakh), Jammu and Kashmir (Rs 3,610.19 lakh), Kerala (Rs 1,504.74 lakh), Nagaland (Rs 539.42 lakh), Puducherry (Rs 105.01 lakh), and Goa (Rs 0.05 lakh). All figures are as of November 27, 2024, according to the data shared in the reply.
The reply says 98.91% of FTOs were generated in 2024-25 (until November 27), compared to 97.98% in 2023-24.
MGNREGS is a demand-driven wage employment scheme. Under this, states/UTs furnish fund proposals to the central government. The ministry periodically releases funds in two tranches, each consisting of one or more instalments, keeping in view the “agreed to labour budget”, demand for works, opening balance, pace of utilisation of funds, pending liabilities, and overall performance, and subject to the submission of relevant documents by the states/UTs.
FTOs are generated within 15 days from the closure of muster rolls.
The minister also said that the government has made concerted efforts to reduce delays in wage payments. An SOP on the timely payment process for direct payment into the accounts of beneficiaries was issued, and its implementation by the states/UTs is being monitored regularly. Additionally, using platforms such as the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and the National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS) has enabled real-time payment monitoring.
The ministry has also taken several other steps to ensure timely wage payments, including intensive consultations with state governments and verification of pending compensation claims. “Aadhaar Based Payment System (ABPS) has been made mandatory since January 1, 2024, to ensure faster, smoother, and timely wage disbursement to beneficiaries under MGNREGS. Also, NMMS has been introduced through the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS),” the reply stated.
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