HYDRABAD: The Central government has spent Rs 5 lakh crore on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act ((MGNREGA) scheme during the past 8 years, out of which 20 percent was spent during the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said.

 Talking to reporters in Kamareddy in Telangana yesterday, she said the state was given Rs 20,000 crore under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme in the past eight years. "During the past eight years, Telangana received Rs 20,000 crore under MGNREGA. During the same period all over the country Rs 5 lakh crore hasbeen spent, out of which more than 20 percent was spent in 2020-21 during COVID-19 pandemic," she said replying to a query.

 The important issue in this is survey teams will come to any state if there are any complaints that the money was not spent accordingly or there are any remarks in the audit report. Referring to the allegations that survey teams are being sent to curtail the scheme, she said the survey teams will come to correct the anomalies, if any.

 During the UPA regime there were several loopholes in the scheme and the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi corrected them and is implementing it through direct benefit transfer (DBT), she further said. Slamming the TRS government in Telangana over alleged rising debt, farmers' distress and other issues, the Union minister said the state that used to be revenue surplus, has now gone into revenue deficit.

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