MADURAI: Workers employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) across the district have allegedly not received their wages since November 2025, which has severely affected the livelihood of nearly 3.02 lakhs of families in the region.
According to the guidelines under the scheme, beneficiaries typically earn around Rs 1,650 per week, with skilled workers earning up to Rs 1,850 (for six days of work, except on Sundays and government holidays). However, workers have not received their wages for nearly two months now, plunging them into a state of financial distress.
A woman worker from Usilampatti block told TNIE that she received her September wages only in the first week of November, and has not received any payment since then. She said, "This scheme is the main source of income for my family. Both my husband and I work under it. We are facing difficulties in running our household." She added that they did not receive any proper response when they approached the respective block development officer (BDO) regarding the delay.
A BDO, on condition of anonymity, said that wages are disbursed only after weekly reports are uploaded on the NREGA application every Wednesday night, followed by work allotments on Thursdays, and verification. However, in reality, the process does not function as expected, he said. The wages are transferred automatically to the bank accounts of the workers only after the contributions of both the state and central governments are credited, he added.
A senior MGNREGA official said that around Rs 188 crore was disbursed as wages in the district between April 1, 2025, and November 12, 2025. "Even last year, wages were delayed for up to four months," the official said, adding that payments, often, are not made on time.
Responding to the issue, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) project director G Vanathi said the delay in the release of the central government's share has resulted in the wage delay, and that the issue is prevalent across the state.