India, Feb. 1 -- Of the Rs 86,000 crore allotted under the interim budget, only Rs 54,000 crore will be available for utilisation for financial year 2024-25

The Union government allocated Rs 86,000 crore for the country's guaranteed wage employment scheme in the interim budget for 2024-25, a significant rise from the allocation announced for 2023-24. However, it has failed to provide adequate respite to rural employment, said experts.

During the budget speech for 2023-24, Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman allocated Rs 60,000 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which entitles workers in registered rural households to guaranteed employment for 100 days. This was the lowest in six y...