Mon Jan 27 11:22:54 UTC 2025: ## Tamil Nadu Seeks ₹1,635 Crore in Overdue MGNREGS Funds
**New Delhi, January 27, 2025** – Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu met with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today to demand the release of ₹1,635 crore in outstanding funds owed to the state under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The funds, representing unpaid wages for workers since November 27, 2024, are currently pending with the central government.
Mr. Thennarasu, accompanied by Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi and Secretary of State’s Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department Gagandeep Singh Bedi, also requested an increase in the number of person-days allocated to Tamil Nadu under the MGNREGS program. This follows a similar request made earlier this month by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the release of ₹1,056 crore in accumulated dues.
The state government also seeks approval for a revised labor budget, increasing the allocation from 20 crore person-days to 35 crore person-days. This proposal, submitted to the Union Ministry of Rural Development in November 2024, remains pending. Approximately 91 lakh workers in Tamil Nadu actively participate in the MGNREGS program.
First Piper 