Centre sanctions about ₹2,999 crore to T.N. under MGNREGS
Ending the impasse over the non-release of funds to Tamil Nadu under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) during 2024-25, the Union Ministry of Rural Development has sanctioned about ₹2,851 crore towards wage liability. Totally, the Union Ministry has set aside ₹2,999 crore, which includes allocation for the current year too.
The previous year's total arrears is around ₹3,170 crore. Of the ₹2,851 crore sanctioned, beneficiaries belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and others will get approximately ₹740 crore, ₹43 crore and ₹2,068 crore respectively, according to a communication sent by the Union Ministry of Rural Development's Director (MGNREGS) Sanjay Kumar recently to the Pay and Accounts Officer in the Union Ministry. A copy of the communication has been marked to the Tamil Nadu government too.
As of now, the State government has received ₹1,111 crore. In respect of material component, the arrears for 2024-25 is ₹1,246 crore. The State government is hopeful of getting the balance from the Union government.
Since November last year, non-payment of wages has remained a matter of concern for beneficiaries and the State government. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had also taken up the matter with the Union government.
At one stage, Mr. Stalin alleged that the 'merciless' BJP-led Union government was striving to wind up the scheme, launched by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime as the 'backbone and blood of the rural economy'.
The ruling DMK had also staged demonstrations across Tamil Nadu to press for the release of funds. About a week ago, residents of Thirumani village in Vellore district resorted to a road roko. Early this month, in Erode district, workers of Sathyamangalam decided to abstain from work until the arrears were paid.
In Tamil Nadu, nearly 91 lakh workers belonging to 76 lakh households are actively participating in the MGNREGS. As much as 86% of employment is provided to women workers, and nearly 29% of the workers are from SC/ST households. About 1 lakh differently abled workers are covered each year. Meanwhile, the office of State Rural Development Commissioner has sent a circular to all Collectors — a proforma agenda to be transacted at the Gram Sabha's meetings slated for May Day.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
32 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Handshake abroad, discord at home with Opposition in the spotlight
A high-profile diplomatic offensive launched by New Delhi to rally international opinion in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and Operation Sindoor concluded on Sunday with the return of the Ravi Shankar Prasad-led 'Group II' from a fortnight-long mission to Europe. The delegation was one of seven that fanned out globally to expose Pakistan's sponsorship of terrorism and reinforce India's strategic narrative in key capitals. More than 50 MPs, former diplomats, and ex-Union ministers were dispatched to 33 destinations, including Brussels, home to several European Union (EU) institutions. The delegations — drawn from across the political spectrum — are expected to brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming days. Group II, which included BJP leader D Purandeswari and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Priyanka Chaturvedi, made stops in France, Italy, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Germany. The group's return coincided with the Ministry of External Affairs's (MEA's) announcement of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's upcoming European tour. In a statement, the MEA said in the first leg of his tour, Jaishankar will travel to Paris and Marseille in France. He will also hold talks with his EU counterpart Jean Noel Barrot and participate in the inaugural edition of the Mediterranean Raisina Dialogue in Marseille. In Brussels, Jaishankar will meet EU High Representative for foreign affairs and Vice-President Kaja Kallas. Jaishankar's trip builds on his recent May visits to the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, as well as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's engagements in Tokyo and Washington DC. Before Group II's return, Chaturvedi posted on social media that her delegation concluded its mission 'with a sense of satisfaction that India stands together, resolute in its fight against terrorism'. She thanked her party leadership and also the government 'for realising the need to take everyone along to send a strong message on Operation Sindoor and India's fight back against terror.' While formal assessments of the outreach are still forthcoming, the initiative appears to have burnished the profiles of several Opposition leaders. Congress' Shashi Tharoor, Salman Khurshid, and Manish Tewari; NCP (Sharad Pawar)'s Supriya Sule; DMK's Kanimozhi; AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi; BJP's Baijayant Panda; and JD(U)'s Sanjay Jha have emerged as prominent faces of the campaign. Yet the multi-party engagement has also stirred political turbulence back home. Khurshid, who travelled with Group III to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, publicly vented frustration over intra-party sniping. 'When on mission against terrorism... it's distressing that people at home are calculating political allegiances. Is it so difficult to be patriotic?' he wrote in a veiled dig on social media. In Jakarta, he noted that Kashmir had 'major problems' for years and suggested that the abrogation of Article 370 had resolved them. According to government sources, Khurshid — given his experience — was crucial to India finding unequivocal support from the Malaysian government for Operation Sindoor. Meanwhile, Tharoor, who headed Group V to the US, Guyana, Panama, Colombia and Brazil, faced criticism from Congress ranks. Party leader Udit Raj accused him of being a 'super spokesperson of the BJP'. Tharoor pushed back, saying working in the national interest should not be viewed as partisan. 'We are here as representatives of a united India,' he said during a press meet, highlighting the diversity within his team: five parties, three religions, seven states. Supriya Sule, who led Group VII to Qatar, South Africa, Ethiopia and Egypt, echoed this sentiment upon return. 'I couldn't be demanding a special Parliament session while representing India abroad,' she said, clarifying why she urged her party to wait until the delegations returned before pushing for a special session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. She noted a warm reception in the countries her team visited. 'They consider India the land of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi,' she said. Her delegation included Manish Tewari, Anand Sharma, Anurag Thakur, and Rajiv Pratap Rudy as members. Kanimozhi, who led Group VI to Russia, Slovenia, Greece, Latvia and Spain, received notable acclaim on social media, as did Owaisi, who travelled to the Gulf and North Africa as part of Group I led by the BJP's Panda. The wide participation of Opposition figures — many of whom often find themselves at odds with the government domestically —has not only elevated their international stature but also changed their perception among public and supporters of the ruling party.
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
B'luru stampede: Somanna slams govt, defends suspended top cop
Mysuru: Union minister of state for railways V Somanna on Sunday said even an entire year's state budget cannot compensate for the tragic loss of lives in the stampede at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium. His remarks came in response to questions from the media regarding the Karnataka govt's revised compensation of Rs 25 lakh per victim, up from the initial Rs 10 lakh. "Even the amount of one full year's state budget cannot compensate for the lives lost in the stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium," Somanna said. "Royal Challengers Bengaluru reached the IPL finals after 18 years, and the authorities should have planned accordingly. Unfortunately, the chief minister mishandled the situation. Perhaps, he acted on poor advice from his associates," he added. The minister also criticised the suspension of Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda, calling it unjust. "I've known the work of IPS officer Dayananda for many years. His suspension is unfair, especially when he had no direct role in the stampede. It was a good decision to appoint him as commissioner, and he should be reinstated immediately. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Promoções imperdíveis de voos baratos Voos | Anúncios de Pesquisa Saiba Mais Undo Govt has gone off track, and they must be held accountable for this tragedy," he added. Reflecting on his past association with CM Siddaramaiah, Somanna expressed disappointment over what he described as a shift in leadership style. "I was in the Congress and was very close to Siddaramaiah. I knew him well — he was not like this. Power seems to have changed him. In the Congress party, no other leader in the country has been given the kind of freedom Siddaramaiah enjoys. It looks like he has changed just to survive as chief minister. This is not the Siddaramaiah I once knew," he said. Somanna also spoke about his personal transformation after becoming a Union minister. "In the past year, after becoming minister of railways and observing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's daily routine and work ethic, I've changed myself," he said. "The state govt should take note of how the Prime Minister functions. They should visit Delhi and see his discipline and dedication first hand. I'm deeply impressed by Modi's style of governance," he added.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
All-party Parliamentary delegation led by Shashi Tharoor wraps up US visit
The all-party Parliamentary delegation wrapped up its visit to the US after meeting with US Vice President J D Vance and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau among political and diplomatic leadership to drive home India's strong resolve to combat terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor , was on the last leg of a multi-nation tour to brief key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor that India launched in retaliation of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. The delegation was one of the seven multi-party delegations India had tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to emphasise Pakistan's links to terrorism. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Chuck Norris Begs Seniors: Avoid These 3 Foods Like The Plague Roundhouse Provisions Undo The delegation arrived in the US capital on June 3 and over the course of three days held a wide array of meetings on Capitol Hill as well as in Washington, briefing the American government officials as well as lawmakers about India's stance on cross-border terrorism . The Indian team met Vice President Vance, Landau, House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) leadership, India Caucus leadership and Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders and also held meetings and interactions with a host of US Congressmen, think tanks, policy experts, media as well as members of the Indian-American community. Live Events Tharoor described the meeting with Vance at the White House for about 25 minutes on Thursday as "an excellent meeting," and said the vice president was "warm and welcoming and receptive." "Vance expressed complete understanding, first of all, outrage of what happened in Pahalgam and support and respect for India's restrained response in Operation Sindoor," Tharoor told PTI after that meeting. After the delegation met Landau on Friday, a statement by State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the Deputy Secretary of State "reaffirmed the United States' strong support of India in the fight against terrorism and the strategic partnership between the two countries." "We discussed the US-India strategic relationship, including expanding trade and commercial ties to foster growth and prosperity for both countries," Landau said. The Indian Embassy said in a statement that during the meeting with Landau, the delegation briefed him on the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, discussed India's subsequent Operation Sindoor, and put forth India's firm resolve to counter cross-border terrorism in all its forms. On the last day of the delegation's scheduled meetings, the delegation oaid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue opposite the Indian Embassy here. "It is striking how many world capitals are adorned with statues or busts of the Mahatma, the 20th century's greatest apostle of peace, nonviolence, and human freedom," Tharoor posted on X afterwards. The team, which had arrived from India in New York on May 24, had travelled to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and Brazil before arriving in Washington for the last leg of the tour. The other members of the delegation were Sarfaraz Ahmad (JMM), Ganti Harish Madhur Balayogi (TDP), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Tejasvi Surya (BJP) and India's former Ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. The on-ground hostilities from Indian and Pakistan sides that lasted for four days ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10. PTI
