Centre approves Rs 2102 cr for payment to MGNREGA Bihar workers

Patna: Centre on Saturday approved Rs 2,102.24 crore as the first instalment for payment of wages to 1.36 crore MGNREGA workers in Bihar in the current financial year 2025-26.
The amount will be distributed among the workers of various categories.
Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, who is also the state's finance minister, thanked PM Narendra Modi on behalf of the MGNREGA workers of the state for the central govt's decision five days before his visit to Bihar. PM Modi is to address a rally in Madhubani on the National Panchayat Day on April 24. He is likely to announce projects and schemes worth several crores of rupees on his third visit to Bihar since the Lok Sabha election held last year.
"The President of India has sanctioned the payment of grants-in-aid of Rs 2102.24 crore (including pending wage liability) to the state govt of Bihar as central assistance for the payment of wages through National Electronic Fund Management System (Ne-FMS) for implementation of MGNREGA during the FY 2025-26," the letter issued by the ministry of rural development (MGNREGA division) of the GoI reads.
Choudhary said the amount will be paid soon. "This year, 1,36,72,933 families are registered in MGNREGA," he said.
The central assistance of Rs 411,47,57,000 will be paid to SCs engaged as MGNREGA workers, Rs 43,89,00,000 to ST and Rs 1646,88,18,000 to workers of other categories, he said.
Choudhary said with the central grant, the dues of MGNREGA workers would also be paid.
PM Modi, on April 24, is also likely to inaugurate the new terminal building of Jayaprakash International Airport in Patna and lay the foundation stone for the new terminal building of the upcoming Bihta airport the same day.
During his Bhagalpur visit in March, PM Modi had transferred Rs 22,000 crore to 9.80 crore farmers across the country, including Rs 1,600 crore for 76 lakh farmers in Bihar, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.