Villupuram Member of Parliament D. Ravikumar has urged the Tamil Nadu government to increase the man days under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to Villupuram district.
In a letter addressed to Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department, Mr. Ravikumar said that according to the 2011 census, the district recorded the highest number of agricultural labourers at 8.3 lakh.
A significant proportion of women — 54.9% — depend on agriculture, and studies have shown that most households survive on daily wages, often earning less than ₹3,000 per month with fewer than 90 days of annual employment.
Last year, Villupuram district was allotted 1.79 crore man days under MGNREGS. This year, however, the allocation has been drastically reduced to 81 lakh, which will severely affect poor families and the rural economy, he said.
He requested the government to increase the man days to at least 1.5 crore and that 100 days assured employment be extended to MBC, SC and ST households below the poverty line.
Published – October 15, 2025 09:46 pm IST
