Parliament Question: Pending payments under MGNREGA in Rajasthan

O.I.H. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3967 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27/03/2026 PENDING PAYMENTS UNDER MGNREGA IN RAJASTHAN 3967 Shri Madan Rathore: Will the Minister of Rural Development be pleased to state: (a) whether Government is considering increasing the number of working days under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA); (b) the status of pending payments under MGNREGA in Rajasthan; (c) whether Government is going to launch new programmes to generate sustainable employment in rural areas; and (d) whether there is a plan to provide additional financial assistance to women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM)? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN) (a) & (c): The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005, is an Act to provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The Ministry mandates the provision of an additional 50 days of wage employment (beyond the stipulated 100 days) to every Scheduled Tribe Household in a forest area, provided that these households have no other private property except for the land rights provided under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. In addition to this, there is a provision for providing up to an additional 50 days of wage employment in a financial year in drought/natural calamity-affected notified rural areas. Further, as per Section 3(4) of the Act, the State Governments may make provision for providing additional days of employment beyond the period guaranteed under the Act from their own funds. Here it is also stated that in December 2025, Parliament has passed the Viksit Bharat- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB GRAM-G) Act, 2025. This Act, which will replace the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, 2005, aims to provide 125 days of unskilled wage employment in rural areas of States/UTs. Further, under the new Act, works are to be prioritised across four themes-water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure, and mitigation of extreme weather events leading to creation of durable and productive rural assets. Page 1 of 2(b): Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is a demand-driven wage employment scheme and fund release to States/UTs including Rajasthan is a continuous process. As on 20.03.2026, the total pending liabilities of wage payment in respect of State of Rajasthan is Rs. 906.99 crore. Central government is committed to release admissible pending liabilities to the State as per established procedure. (d): The Government accords priority to the promotion and strengthening of women Self- Help Groups (SHGs) as a key pillar of rural livelihoods and women’s empowerment. Under the VB–G RAM G Act, 2025, focused provisions have been made to strengthen livelihood opportunities for women, including those associated with SHGs. Livelihood-related infrastructure has been identified as one of the four core thematic areas under the Act, with emphasis on creation of assets such as rural haats (village markets), work sheds, storage facilities, aggregation centres and other enterprise-support infrastructure. These interventions are aimed at strengthening rural livelihoods by enabling value addition, improving market access and supporting local economic activities. Through such infrastructure creation, the programme will significantly benefit SHGs, producer groups and rural enterprises by strengthening local value chains and enhancing income opportunities within rural areas. The programme also promotes participatory planning through Gram Sabhas and Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans, wherein SHG members actively participate in identifying and prioritising works based on local needs. The enhanced employment guarantee of 125 days further provides additional income support to rural households, including women. ***** Page 2 of 2