Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session of Parliament.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Accusing Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani for making a false statement regarding comparative outlay of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) funds to Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, senior Congress leader and party’s whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore moved a privilege motion against the minister.
Mr. Pemmasani had told Lok Sabha on Tuesday (March 25, 2025), “Tamil Nadu has a population of seven crores, UP has a population of 20 crore. UP draws close to ₹10,000 crore, Tamil Nadu draws more than ₹10,000 crore. There is no question of not giving money.”
The Hindu news report pointed out that the government’s own data disapproves his claim.
The “At A Glance” report on the MGNREGS website shows that total expenditure in the ongoing fiscal year for Uttar Pradesh stands at ₹11,860 crore, while for Tamil Nadu it is ₹10,867 crore. So far this year, the Centre has released ₹9,758 crore to Uttar Pradesh and ₹7,414 crore to Tamil Nadu. The MGNREGA fund disbursal is not based on the State’s population but only on the demand for work raised by the State.
In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Mr. Tagore pointing out these discrepancies said, “The statement made by the Minister of State for Rural Development is misleading and factually incorrect, leading to confusion and misleading the House on an important issue related to the allocation and expenditure of MGNREGS funds.” Mr. Tagore has urged the Speaker to direct the minister to provide clarification on the issue.
“Given the importance of maintaining the integrity of statements made in the House and the impact of false information on public discourse, I request that a privilege motion be initiated against Mr. Pemmasani for misleading the House and causing confusion regarding MGNREGS funding,” Mr. Tagore said.
Published – March 26, 2025 02:43 pm IST