❖ The Tamil Nadu government recently accorded sanction to release ₹1,229 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for 2024-25.

❖ While ₹921 crore is the 75% share from the Central assistance for this programme (material component), ₹307 crore is the 25% share of the State government for the same for 2024-25.

❖ The Government of India had earlier this year increased the wages under MGNREGS by ₹25 per worker a day.

❖ In March this year, the Central Empowered Committee approved “20 crore person days” under the labour budget for Tamil Nadu for 2024-25.

❖ The Government of India had that month approved ₹319 per person a day under the MGNREGS for workers in Tamil Nadu.

❖ The funds for MGNREGS have three components o Wage for unskilled labour (100% funded by the Union government), o Material for civil works (75% by the Union government and 25% by the State government) and o For salary and other expenditure (100% by the Union government).