TNCC president accuses Centre of withholding ₹2,087 crore in MGNREGS funds

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Union government of withholding ₹2,087 crore due to Tamil Nadu under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).In a social media post, Mr. Tagore said information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act had exposed the Centre’s continued “step-motherly treatment” of Tamil Nadu.He said between April 1 and June 30 of the 2026-27 financial year, the Tamil Nadu government had provided employment to 31.47 lakh workers from 29.83 lakh families, generating 3.22 crore person-days of work, and had spent ₹1,804 crore.Under the new Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), based on a 60:40 funding pattern, 81.39 lakh families had been registered and job cards issued to 103.18 lakh workers, he said.Mr. Tagore alleged the Union government’s failure to release the required funds had placed a severe financial burden on the State government.In a letter to Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, he pointed out funds released by the Centre had declined from ₹13,395 crore in 2023-24 to ₹10,744 crore in 2024-25, a reduction of 19.79%. The allocation fell further to ₹6,254 crore in 2025-26, representing a 41.79% decline from the previous year and a 53.31% reduction compared to 2023-24.He questioned Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the withholding of funds, particularly when poor and working people in rural areas were facing livelihood difficulties.Mr. Tagore said he had written to the Union Ministry seeking the immediate release of the pending ₹2,087 crore and urged the Centre to stop “actions that were hampering rural development.” Published - August 25, 2026 11:55 pm IST