The Telangana state government has been negligent in paying bills for works carried out under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Despite receiving funds from the central government, these have not been released to contractors, leading to significant frustration.
Over the past nine months, works worth around Rs. 1,000 crore have been executed under NREGS in Telangana. The funding structure mandates that the central government covers 75% of the costs while the state government covers the remaining 25%. Last month, the central government deposited approximately Rs. 700 crore for its share. However, the state has not paid its portion to the contractors.
The Revanth Reddy government has repeatedly cited the election code as a reason for delays. Yet, even a week after the code ended, the bills remain unpaid. There are reports that the state government has diverted the central funds to other schemes instead of paying the contractors.
This situation has left contractors feeling betrayed and frustrated. They express their anger over the severe delay in bill payments and are demanding the immediate release of the funds provided by the central government.