Priyank Kharge seeks urgent release of pending MGNREGA funds
Expressing serious concern over the continued delay in the release of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to Karnataka for 2025-26, State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister (RDPR) Priyank Kharge has written to Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking immediate release of funds.
In the letter dated May 23, Mr. Kharge has sought the Union Minister's urgent intervention to immediately release the pending wage, material, and administrative funds for the current fiscal.
'The Karnataka government remains firmly committed to the effective implementation of this vital programme, which plays a crucial role in providing livelihood security to rural households across the State. In compliance with the scheme's requirements, the Rural Development Commissionerate has submitted all necessary utilisation certificates and supporting documents to the Ministry of Rural Development. However, the State is facing severe financial and administrative constraints due to the non-release of funds,' the letter stated.
Elaborating on the non-release of funds across the administrative component, Mr. Kharge has said in the letter that salaries for field-level staff and functionaries have remained unpaid since December 2024, leading to significant financial hardship for the personnel.
'This delay is severely affecting the routine operations, supervision, and on-ground implementation of the scheme. Field functionaries have been submitting multiple requests to the headquarters for the immediate release of their pending salaries to cover essential expenses such as their children's school admission fees, rent, and loan EMIs,' the letter stated.
On the technical challenges in fund flow, the letter stated that the mandated migration to the Single Nodal Agency system and integration with the SPARSH platform and NREGASoft have created operational bottlenecks. 'These system-level transitions, though well-intended, have led to delays in fund disbursement to the State,' the letter pointed out.
Stating that no material funds have been released in the current financial year, he said in the letter: 'This has resulted in pending bills amounting to ₹787.2 crore. Additionally, wage liabilities of around ₹600 crore are outstanding, despite the fact that demands have been raised as per actual work progress.'
Officials from the Rural Development Commissionerate have consistently pursued this matter through formal letters, telephone follow-ups, and personal visits to the Union Rural Development Ministry. They have also raised concerns during virtual meetings.
'In light of the above, I urge your urgent intervention for the immediate release of the pending wage, material, and administrative funds. Timely disbursement is essential to ensure the livelihood security of lakhs of rural workers and also maintain the administrative efficacy and trust in this important national programme,' Mr. Kharge's letter added.
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