The Centre has released more than 72 per cent of the total amount allocated for MGNREGS in the 2022-23 budget to states so far, the Rural Development Ministry said on Saturday.
In the Union Budget for 2022-23, Rs 73,000 crore was allocated for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), out of which Rs 52,833 crore has been allocated to states so far, the ministry said.
Citing data, the ministry said the "actual releases to the states have been much higher than that provided for at the budgetary estimate level".
It further said the central government is committed to release funds for wage and material payments for proper implementation of the scheme.
The ministry shared these details while issuing clarification on a report which stated that around 39 per cent of the scheme card holders didn't get single day of work in 2020-21.
"It will not be correct to assume that all registered households had demanded work. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act provides guarantee of at least 100 days of wage employment against the demand made by a household in a rural area," the ministry said responding to the report.
It also shared the ratio of offer for work against the demand for work which was above 99 per cent during the three-year period starting from 2019-2020.
In 2020-21, the ministry said, 99.89 per cent of the total demand of work under the Act was met and 389.09 crore person-days of work was generated.