Budget 2024: MGNREGA Allocation Raised To Rs 86,000 Crore, PM Kisan Outlay Unchanged

The government's allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee scheme has been hiked, while that of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan scheme remained in line with the previous year.

The central government has allocated Rs 86,000 crore for India’s rural jobs guarantee programme in the upcoming fiscal 2025. That compares with Rs 60,000 crore earmarked for the scheme in FY24. The government allocated an additional spending of Rs 14,524 crore under the supplementary demand for grants.

MGNREGA continues to provide a safety net to a large section of the vulnerable rural population amid stagnating rural income, variability in the monsoon and high inflation. The scheme was also pivotal to the rural economy's recovery during the pandemic, protecting the most vulnerable households against complete income loss.

The government has proposed to keep the outlay of Rs 60,000 crore unchanged for the flagship PM Kisan scheme in FY25.

The PM Kisan Yojana is a fully central sector scheme that began in December 2018 to provide income support of Rs 6,000 annually via direct benefit transfer in three installments to eligible landholding farmer families.

The scheme has provided financial assistance to 11.8 crore farmers, the government said.