Lucknow: The Union ministry of rural development on Wednesday approved the first instalment of Rs 1,789 crore as central funding for Uttar Pradesh under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for the financial year 2026-27. The sanctioned amount also includes approximately Rs 1,129.55 crore of pending dues from the previous 2025-26 financial year.The funds have been distributed across different beneficiary categories — Rs 536.65 crore has been earmarked for Scheduled Castes, Rs 45.53 crore for Scheduled Tribes and Rs 1,207.60 crore for other categories.Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya instructed the concerned officials to ensure that all payments are made strictly in accordance with prescribed guidelines and within the stipulated timeframe. He also emphasised taking steps to prevent any instances of duplicate payments. All expenditure details are to be mandatorily recorded on the NREGA Soft portal.The Deputy CM reiterated that timely payment to MGNREGS workers remains a priority of the state govt. “Whether it is wage payments, material costs or administrative expenses, all categories of payments must be processed without delay,” he said.He further directed that the entire amount be transferred directly to the workers’ bank accounts through the National Electronic Fund Management System (NEFMS). To ensure transparency, payments will be made strictly on the basis of Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) and actual expenditure incurred.
