PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss has criticized the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to allocate Rs 100 crore for providing an additional 25 days of work under the rural employment guarantee scheme, arguing that the funding is insufficient to meet the stated objectives. The government recently issued an order to provide 125 days of employment annually, aiming to eventually reach 150 days as promised in the TVK election manifesto.
In a statement, Anbumani pointed out that while the government's intention to increase work days is positive, the financial allocation is inadequate. He noted that there are 81.08 lakh families registered for the scheme in Tamil Nadu, with 69.11 lakh families actively participating. With a daily wage of Rs 271.38 per person, plus additional costs for materials, skilled labor, and administrative expenses totaling Rs 532.02 per person per day, the total daily requirement to support all active families is approximately Rs 367.68 crore.
"To provide 25 days of additional work, at least Rs 9,192 crore is required. The Rs 100 crore allocated by the Tamil Nadu government is only 1.08 percent of the required funds. With this amount, it is impossible to provide even a single day of work to the beneficiaries," Anbumani stated.
He further highlighted that since the implementation of the 'Vikasit Bharat & Rural Employment & Livelihood Guarantee Scheme' on July 1, only 5.32 crore person-days of work have been generated. According to government data, 38.08 lakh families have received an average of 13.37 days of work, while 31.10 lakh families have not received any work at all. When averaged across all registered families, the work provided stands at only 7.69 days.
Anbumani attributed the shortfall to a lack of funds and a decline in central government allocations. He noted that while the central government previously covered the full wage cost, it now covers only 60 percent, with the state responsible for the remaining 40 percent. He urged the state government to take immediate steps to secure more central funding and increase its own contribution to ensure that at least 75 days of work—60 days with central support and 15 days through state funding—are provided to rural families this year.
