In view of the increased work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural EMPLOYMENT Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Union Rural Development Ministry had demanded an additional amount of Rs 25,000 crore from the Government of India and this amount is expected to be allotted by the second week of November. State Rural Development Minister, Alamgir Alam said that it is a welcome step and it will create more employment in rural areas and stop Migration.
In this way, now the total MGNREGA budget for this financial year will be Rs 98,000 crores. An amount of Rs 73,000 crore was allocated for MGNREGA in the Union Budget for the year 2022-23. So far, about Rs 54,000 crore has been allocated to the states under the MGNREGA scheme. About Rs 181 crore work has been created under the scheme. For the additional amount in the MGNREGA scheme, the Central Government will have to take approval in the winter session of Parliament. The will seek Assembly’s approval for the allocation of additional funds under the demands for grants to be presented in the upcoming winter session.
In the Union Budget for the year 2022-23, the Central Government had cut Rs 25,000 crore in the MGNREGA funds. In the financial year 2020-21, the total budget of MGNREGA was more than Rs 1 lakh crore. This scheme was implemented in the first phase in 200 most backward districts of the Country with effect from February 2, 2006, later it was extended to 113 additional districts with effect from April 1, 2007 and from May 15, 2007. The remaining districts were included under the Act with effect from April 1, 2008. The Act now covers all rural districts of the country.