Executive Summary:
This document provides details regarding the generation of persondays under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Tamil Nadu, budgetary allocations, and rural development initiatives. It addresses questions raised in Lok Sabha regarding MGNREGS, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Key financial years mentioned are 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26, with a PMGSY completion timeline of March 2026.
Key Points / Main Content:
MGNREGS Persondays Generation:
* Persondays generated in Tamil Nadu: 3061.11 lakhs (2024-25), 4087.02 lakhs (2023-24), 3346.53 lakhs (2022-23).
MGNREGS Funding and Wage Payments:
* MGNREGS is a demand-driven scheme with continuous fund release based on demand.
* Budget allocation for MGNREGS: ₹86,000 crore in both 2024-25 and 2025-26.
* Over ₹44,000 crore released in FY 2025-26 (as of 18.07.2025), including complete pending wage liabilities from the previous year.
* Additional funds are requested from the Ministry of Finance as needed.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) Allocations:
* Annual financial allocation is decided based on past performance, pending houses, and fund utilization.
* ₹5376.66 crore released to Tamil Nadu since inception (2016-17).
* ₹1047.35 crore allocated for FY 2025-26, but funds not yet released due to slow utilization of available funds.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY):
* 7375 km of roads allocated and sanctioned to Tamil Nadu under PMGSY-III.
* Completion timeline for ongoing PMGSY-III projects is March 2026.
* Roads are prioritized based on utility value, population served, and Pavement Condition Index.
Participatory Rural Planning:
* MGNREGS utilizes bottom-up planning, with works identified and prioritized by Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas.
Impact Analysis:
State Governments/Union Territories:
* Impact: Requires timely submission of proposals with relevant documents for MGNREGS funding. Central share of PMAY funds are released to State/UT as a single unit. States prioritize roads based on utility for PMGSY III.
* Action Required: Ensure efficient utilization of allocated funds, timely submission of project proposals, and adherence to guidelines for project implementation.
Beneficiaries of MGNREGS:
* Impact: Continued wage employment opportunities based on demand-driven work.
* Action Required: Register for work and participate in identified projects through the Gram Panchayat.
Beneficiaries of PMAYG:
* Impact: Potential delays in receiving housing assistance due to slow fund utilization by the state.
* Action Required: Await disbursal of funds from the State.
Rural Population of Tamil Nadu:
* Impact: Improved rural road connectivity through PMGSY-III.
* Action Required: Benefit from improved infrastructure and provide feedback on road quality and accessibility.
Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas:
* Impact: Responsible for identifying, approving, and prioritizing works under MGNREGS.
* Action Required: Assess Labour Budget and plan work accordingly, ensure compliance with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
Key Entities Referenced
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: A demand-driven wage employment scheme aimed at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas of India.
Tamil Nadu: A state in southern India where the MGNREGS persondays were generated and PMAY allocations were made.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana: An affordable housing scheme, with a rural component (PMAYG) focused on providing houses to eligible beneficiaries.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana: A rural road development program aimed at providing all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations.
Ministry of Rural Development: The Indian government ministry responsible for implementing rural development programs including MGNREGS and PMAY.
SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN: Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development.
Ministry of Finance: The Indian government ministry responsible for managing the country's finances, including allocating funds for schemes like MGNREGS.
NREGASoft: Software used for monitoring and reporting under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 272
ANSWERED ON 22/07/2025
GENERATION OF PERSON-DAYS UNDER MGNREGS IN TAMIL NADU
272. DR. T SUMATHY ALIAS THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the details and number of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) person-days
generated in Tamil Nadu during the last three years;
(b) whether there are any budgetary shortfalls or pending wage
payments, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether it is a fact that the Pradhan MantriAwasYojana
(PMAY) allocations for rural Tamil Nadu have been reduced or
delayed, if so, the details thereof;
(d) the action taken by the Government to address inter-State
disparity in rural road development, especially in the southern
districts of Tamil Nadu; and
(e) whether the Government has adopted the Tamil Nadu model
for participatory rural planning and share best practices
nationally, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a): Details of person-days generated in Tamil Nadu State under
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) during the last three financial year is
given below:
Financial Year 2024-25 2023-24 2022-23
Person-days generated in Tamil Nadu [In
3061.11 4087.02 3346.53
Lakhs]
(as per NREGASoft)
Page 1 of 3(b): Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand-driven wage employment
Scheme. Fund release to States/UTs is a continuous process and
the Central Government is committed to making funds available to
States/UTs for the implementation of the Scheme as per the demand
for work on the ground.
Under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, the Ministry releases funds to
the States/UTs periodically in two tranches, with each tranche
consisting of one or more instalments. The releases are made
keeping in view the “agreed to” Labour Budget, demand for works,
opening balance, pace of fund utilization, pending liabilities, overall
performance, and subject to timely submission of proposals with
relevant documents by the States/UTs.
For the financial year 2024-25, budget allocation of ₹86,000
crore has been made for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), which
was the highest ever allocation for scheme at the Budget Estimate
(BE) stage since inception. In the financial year 2025-26, the
Government has retained this allocation at ₹86,000 crore, ensuring
continued support for rural employment.
In the current financial year 2025-26, so far, funds amounting to
over 44,000 Crore (As on 18.07.2025) have been released including
the complete pending wage liability of the previous year.
Here it is also submitted that keeping in view demand driven
nature of the Scheme Ministry of Rural Development closely
monitors demand for employment at ground level and seeks
additional funds from the Ministry of Finance as and when required.
(c): No. As per the guidelines of the Pradhan MantriAwaasYojana-
Gramin (PMAY-G), at the onset of the Financial Year, the Annual
Financial Allocation would be decided for each State/UT on the
basis of previous year’s performances, houses pending for
completion and utilization of available funds & targets allocated in
the current year. Under (PMAY-G), the Ministry releases Central
Share of funds directly to State/UT considering them as a single
unit. Further disbursal of funds as installments of assistance to the
Page 2 of 3beneficiaries is done by the State. Since inception (2016-17) Rs
5376.66 crore has been released to the State of Tamil Nadu. For the
current FY i.e. 2025-26 Rs 1047.35 crore has been allocated to the
Tamil Nadu State. The Ministry could not release funds to the state
due to slow progress on utilization of the funds made available to
the state.
(d): Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY)- III,
7375km length of roads has been allocated to the State of Tamil
Nadu and the entire length has been sanctioned. The timeline for
the completion of ongoing PMGSY III projects is March, 2026. Under
PMGSY III, candidate roads are prioritized by the States based on
its calculated utility value, population served by the roads and
Pavement Condition Index. Several roads have been sanctioned
under PMGSY III in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. The
district-wise status of PMGSY III roads in the State of Tamil Nadu is
available at Programme website www.omms.nic.in > Progress
Monitoring > State Abstract Report.
(e): Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand driven wage employment
scheme with bottom up planning. The works are identified,
approved and prioritized out of shelf of work by the Gram
Panchayat, recommended by Gram Sabha in each State/UT as per
the provision of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act. Accordingly, the works are approved and taken up
by Panchayat as per the demand. The planning of works is done as
per the estimated person days to be generated for the works in a
financial year at the time of assessment of Labour Budget.
*****
Page 3 of 3