Palaniswami urges DMK govt. to ensure full payment of wages to MGNREGS beneficiaries

AIADMK urges DMK government to clear MGNREGS wage arrears, highlighting failure to fulfill electoral promises.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday urged the DMK government to ensure that arrears in the payment of wages to beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) were cleared at the earliest. 

Pulling up the State government for “having created a situation” wherein the beneficiaries, who were dependent on only MGNREGS, could not celebrate Pongal festival, Mr. Palaniswami said there had been reports that the wages had not yet been paid this month. 

Recalling the DMK’s electoral promises given at the time of 2021 Assembly poll that the number of days under the Scheme would be increased to 150; the wages be increased to ₹300 per day and town panchayats be brought under the MGRNEGS,  the AIADMK leader said the State government had not taken any step to fulfill the assurances. 

About 10 days ago, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to advise the Union Ministry of Rural Development to release the outstanding amount of ₹1,056 crore to Tamil Nadu towards wages. The arrears  had arisen on account of the State exhausting the original labour budget. The Chief Minister also sought the Centre’s approval for revising the labour budget.