Uttar Pradesh, with a population that is almost triple that of Tamil Nadu, gets less funding under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Scheme (MGNREGS), the Rural Development Ministry claimed on Tuesday (March 25, 2025), during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. The claim — which is not borne out by the fiscal data on the MGNREGA website — led to strong protests from the Opposition, forcing Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.
The fracas began when DMK MP K. Kanimozhi asked when the Union government will release ₹4,034 crore worth of MGNREGS funds that it owes to Tamil Nadu for the past five months. In response, Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said that Tamil Nadu has already received ₹7,300 crore in this fiscal year. “Tamil Nadu has a population of seven crore, U.P. has a population of 20 crore. U.P. draws close to ₹10,000 crore, Tamil Nadu draws more than ₹10,000 crore. There is no question of not giving money,” Mr. Pemmasani said.