Union minister of state for animal husbandry, dairying, and fisheries L Murugan announced on Wednesday that the central government has approved Rs 1,361 crore for Tamil Nadu under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Act (MGNREGA).

On Tuesday, the funds were distributed and the Union minister informed reporters that the Centre had sanctioned more funds than the state asked for, in response to chief minister M K Stalin's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, which sought the PM's attention on the delay in payment of MGNREGA wages worth Rs 1,178 crore. He denied that money for MGNREGA payments had been delayed and said that the CM's letter was written to discredit the central government.