Parliamentary panel criticises Rural Development Ministry over MGNREGS payment delays
New Delhi: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development has criticised the Union Rural Development Ministry for “sidelining” a specific query regarding pending payments under the material component of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Deccan Herald reported.
“It is unfathomable how a specific query of the committee can be sidelined on such an important matter,” the panel, chaired by Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka, said in its report tabled on Monday (August 11).
The committee noted that wages worth ₹12,219.18 crore were pending, while ₹11,227.09 crore remained uncleared under the material component. This amounted to 27.26% of the current budget, meaning over one-fourth of the funds allocated for 2025-26 would be used to clear previous years’ dues. As a result, the working budget for the current financial year was reduced to ₹62,553.73 crore.
According to the report, such pendencies have severely affected both the demand-driven nature of the scheme and the creation of assets. The panel urged the ministry to immediately clear all pending bills to avoid delays in wage disbursement, ensure timely release of the Centre’s share of funds, improve coordination with state governments, and adopt measures to prevent future delays.
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Rickelton's ton in vain as SRH beat MI by 6 wickets
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
