Overview
- Parliament’s rural development committee reviewed the MGNREGA phase-out and sought clarity on wage payments, budgeting and rule-making during the planned six-month shift to the new law.
- The Rural Development Ministry told members it is coordinating with states to prevent “fake demand” during the interim and said dues, including to West Bengal, would be addressed, with ₹3,082.52 crore outstanding nationally.
- An SBI Research report estimates states would collectively gain about ₹17,000 crore versus recent MGNREGA allocations under the Centre’s normative formula, with Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra among the biggest projected beneficiaries and two states seeing marginal losses.
- The government has begun public outreach, sending ministers briefs that underscore 125 guaranteed workdays, weekly digital payments, biometric and geospatial monitoring, four priority work categories and a permitted 60-day agricultural pause.
- Political pushback is intensifying as Congress plans a nationwide protest on January 5, the Punjab Assembly meets December 30 to debate the Act, and 355 academics and civil-society signatories urge consultation and fixes over repeal.