Aizawl: The Centre has sanctioned an additional Rs 88.67 crore “as a Christmas gift” for Mizoram under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), an official statement said on Saturday.

The amount, which is expected to benefit over 1.97 lakh beneficiaries, was released on Friday, the statement added.

Earlier this month, the Centre had released Rs 53.82 crore under the scheme. The Centre has so far sanctioned a total of Rs 431.18 crore to Mizoram during the current fiscal.

There are 1,97,127 job-card holders in Mizoram. The beneficiaries have been facing work problems since August as the Centre had withheld the funds.

On December 6, rural development minister Lalruatkima had met Union rural development secretary Amarjeet Sinha in New Delhi and discussed the inconvenience faced by job-card holders in Mizoram.

Lalruatkima urged Sinha to release the funds before the festive season.

The sanctioned amount is expected to cover 21 days’ work for beneficiaries.

Lalruatkima thanked the Centre for releasing Rs 88.67 crore under the rural job scheme at a time Mizoram is facing a financial crisis.

He said the sanctioned amount would be released before Christmas.