Highest ever spending under MNREGA during FY21 under Modi govt, says FM replying to Rajya Sabha Budget debate

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government has removed all ills from the rural-employment guarantee scheme MNREGA and spent highest ever about Rs 90,500 crore so far this fiscal.

Replying to the Budget debate in the Rajya Sabha, the minister attacked the opposition Congress failing to utilise the entire amount allocated in the Budgets when they were in power.

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She said during the Covid-19 pandemic year, the government has spent Rs 90,469 crore under the MNREGA rural employment scheme, which highest ever.

Sitharaman said for 2020-21, the budget estimate was Rs 61,500 crore for the scheme, which has been increased to Rs 1,11,500 in the revised estimates.

"Your track record is bad. Never your budget estimate was met," the finance minister said as she reeled out data from 2009-10 and subsequent years under the Congress-led UPA regime.