Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday flagged a "wage liability" of over Rs 1,000 crore to the beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the state and urged the Centre to release funds immediately, considering the festival season.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Stalin said MGNREGS is considered as a "stable livelihood opportunity" in rural areas and the present delay in wage payment was causing hardship to many thousands of rural households.

He said the entire amount of Rs 3,524.69 crore released from the Centre to Tamil Nadu during FY 2021-22 has been fully utilised by crediting into the workers' account up to September 15, 2021.

"Since then no further funds has been released towards wages by Government of India which led to the wage liability of Rs 1,178.12 crore up to 1-11-2021. MGNREGS is considered as a stable livelihood opportunity in rural areas and the present delay in wage payment is causing hardship to many thousands of rural households and may lead them to disowning the scheme and lead to urban migration for employment opportunity which is to be averted by MGNREGS," he told Modi.

"Hence, funds towards wage payments may be released immediately particularly considering the festival season," he added.