India denies bias in MGNREGA fund allocation

The government has denied any bias in the release of funds for the MGNREGA program. This comes as opposition MPs protested in the Lok Sabha over delays in payments to certain states. MPs from Kerala and Tamil Nadu expressed their concerns during the Question Hour, leading to protests in the House. Minister of State for Rural Development, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, stated that payments are being processed and that Kerala has already received nearly Rs 3,000 crore this year. He assured that any pending payments would be cleared within the next few weeks. He emphasized that the release of funds is a continuous process. Kerala's Congress MP Adoor Prakash pointed out that many workers have not been paid for three months, with Rs 811 crore still due. He raised concerns about a decline in the MGNREGA workforce in the state linked to these delays. DMK MP Kanimozhi also highlighted similar issues in Tamil Nadu, where Rs 4,034 crore is pending. She mentioned that the chief minister has reached out to the prime minister about the delays. However, Pemmasani noted that Tamil Nadu has already received Rs 7,300 crore from the scheme. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan supported the government's position, stating there is no discrimination against any state. He compared allocations under the current government to those in the past, emphasizing the increase in person-days created under MGNREGA.