Rural employment through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA): an insight into wage rates and other matters relating thereto

The Finance Ministry allocated 22 per cent less funds for MGNREGA in revised estimates for the current financial year (2023-24), as compared to Rs 1.1 lakh crore sought by the Rural Development Ministry, shows a Parliamentary committee report tabled in the Lok Sabha on February 08, 2024. The report – “Rural Employment Through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) – An Insight into Wage Rates and Other Matters Relating Thereto” — shows that the Department of Rural Development (DoRD) had sought Rs 1.1 lakh crore for MGNREGA at the Revised Estimate (RE) stage, which was 83 per cent (Rs 50,000 crore) higher as compared to its Budget Estimate (BE) of Rs 60,000 crore for the current financial year. The finance ministry, however, revised it upward to Rs 86,000 crore, which was much lower than the amount sought by the Rural Development Ministry.