"Factually Incorrect": Congress MP Demands Action Against Union Minister For Misleading Claim About MGNREGA

Tamil Nadu Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Tuesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla regarding an recent “misleading statement” made by Parliamentary Affair MinisterChandra S. Pemmasani about the MGNREGA in the Parliament.

While answering a question regarding the delay in the release of Rs 4034 crore worth of MGNREGA fund, owed to Tamil Nadu for the past five months, the Union Minister had claimed that Uttar Pradesh, with a population that is almost triple that of Tamil Nadu, gets less funding under the MGNREGS.

The letter noted that the minister made a statement that is “factually incorrect.” It pointed out the minister claimed that Tamil Nadu with a population of 7 crore recieves more MGNREGA funding that Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of 20 crore, and that Uttar Pradesh draws close Rs 10,000 crore while Tamil Nadu draws more than Rs 10,000.

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Revealing the fact, Tagore highlited that the total expenditure for Uttar Pradesh in the current fiscal year stands at 11,860 crore, while expenditure for Tamil Nadu is 10,687, as per the official data on MGNREGA.

“The Central government has released Rs 9758 crore to Uttar Pradesh and Rs 7414 to Tamil Nadu so far this year. The funding under MGNREGA is determined by the demand for the work, not based on population size,” the letter pointed out, adding that the minister’s claim about population based allocation of fund is “misleading.”

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The MP further asked the Speaker direct the minister to provide clarification on this matter and sought appropriate action against the minister in accordance with the rules of privilege to maintain the integrity of the House.

Sharing his letter on his social media platform, the Congress MP wrote, “Submitted a notice of question of privilege against Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, for blatantly misleading the House on March 24, 2025. Misleading statements are a breach of privilege and contempt of Parliament. Accountability matters.”