Union minister of state for animal husbandry, dairying, and fisheries L Murugan announced on Wednesday that the central government has approved Rs 1,361 crore for Tamil Nadu under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Act (MGNREGA).
On Tuesday, the funds were distributed and the Union minister informed reporters that the Centre had sanctioned more funds than the state asked for, in response to chief minister M K Stalin's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, which sought the PM's attention on the delay in payment of MGNREGA wages worth Rs 1,178 crore. He denied that money for MGNREGA payments had been delayed and said that the CM's letter was written to discredit the central government.
He said the Centre had sanctioned Rs 6,255 crore to Tamil Nadu for the fiscal year under the MGNREGA scheme.
The system must be implemented in a transparent and efficient manner. It should be subjected to a social audit in accordance with the scheme's criteria. He said, however, that the state government had not followed it.
According to the minister, the scheme's implementation was marred by anomalies totaling Rs 246 crore. The state government, on the other hand, has so far recouped Rs 1.85 crore, he said, adding that the state had not used the entire men's work day under the scheme. The state increased the number of working days for men from 2,500 to 2,190.
Murugan claimed that the Centre was taking steps to hasten the release of 23 Tamil Nadu fisherman held in Sri Lankan jails, but that the state government's tardiness in giving the fishermen's information was delaying their release.
Meanwhile, around 600 fishermen were killed by the Sri Lankan navy during the Congress-led UPA regime. He said that no similar incidence has occurred since the Modi-led administration took power at the Centre.