 "MNREGA, Migrants, workers, labour")
Those criticising the budgetary allocation for MNREGA should understand that the scheme is "demand driven", Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh said on Thursday, adding that the Narendra Modi government has always allocated sufficient funds for the programme.
Amid criticism over the budgetary allocation for the flagship rural employment programme -- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme -- Singh said the Modi government's allocation are higher than that by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
"Those criticising the allocation should understand what MNREGA is before saying that the allocation has gone down. In 2020, we had only Rs 62,000 crore allocation and the expenditure was Rs 1,12,000 crore. Every year, MNREGA budget (allocation) is around Rs 70,000 crore," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of an event in the national capital.
"Those who are shouting about MNREGA today, in eight years, the UPA's BE (Budget Estimate) was more than RE (Revised Estimate) only once. Under the Modi government, the RE has always exceeded the BE... We give 99 per cent of the money directly to bank accounts. Asset creation is above 60 per cent now. Number of women (getting employment under MNREGA) is around 57 per cent," he claimed.
The allocation for the flagship scheme in the 2023-24 Union Budget is Rs 60,000 crore. In 2022-23, the government had allocated Rs 73,000 crore while the expenditure, according to the Revised Estimate, was Rs 89,400 crore.
In 2021-22, Rs 98,467.85 crore was spent on the scheme.
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