Examiner Bureau News Desk | Srinagar:
More than nine per cent of wage payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Jammu and Kashmir were delayed beyond the prescribed 15-day timeline during the financial year 2025–26, according to the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry said 9.48 per cent of MGNREGS wage payments in Jammu and Kashmir were made after 15 days from the closure of muster rolls, significantly higher than the national average of 3.75 per cent.
The Ministry informed Parliament that, across the country, 96.25 per cent of Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) were generated by states and Union Territories within the stipulated 15-day period during 2025–26. Under the scheme, wages are transferred directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system based on these FTOs.
Under the provisions of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, workers are entitled to compensation if wage payments are delayed beyond the prescribed timeline. The Act provides for compensation at the rate of 0.05 per cent of the unpaid wages per day for delays beyond the 16th day after the closure of the muster roll.
The Ministry further informed the Rajya Sabha that the approved delayed compensation during 2025–26 amounted to Rs 1.54 crore, while Rs 40.14 lakh had been disbursed to eligible beneficiaries, according to data available on the NREGASoft portal.
The state-wise data tabled in Parliament showed that Jammu and Kashmir recorded a higher proportion of delayed wage payments than the national average, highlighting continued challenges in ensuring timely disbursal of wages under the rural employment guarantee scheme.
