Punjab and Haryana are waiting for the release of ₹376.60 crore from the Central government under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), as of July 16. According to Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Punjab’s dues stand at ₹331.48 crore, while Haryana is owed ₹45.12 crore. These pending amounts include both worker wages and material costs.
MGNREGS is a rural employment scheme that provides wage jobs to workers based on actual demand. States send fund requests to the Centre depending on the need in the field. The Centre is responsible for releasing funds regularly, and the minister assured the Lok Sabha that the government is committed to providing funds to states as needed.
Across India, many states are awaiting MGNREGS funds. Andhra Pradesh has the highest pending dues at ₹2,864.31 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar.
So far in the current financial year, the Central government has released ₹44,323 crore to various states. Under the scheme’s rules, the Centre pays 100% of wages and administrative costs, and 75% of the material cost. The remaining 25% of material cost must be paid by the state governments.
The minister also stated that workers’ wages are paid directly into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts using the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. Payments are processed daily once states complete the required documentation.
However, no fixed date has been given for clearing Punjab and Haryana’s dues. The Centre has said that funds will be released based on daily updates and proper documentation by the states.
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