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 period during the financial year 2025-26, according to the Centre.
In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Rural Development said that 9.48 per cent of MGNREGA wage payments in Jammu and Kashmir were made after 15 days of the closure of muster rolls. The figure is significantly higher than the national average of 3.75 per cent.
The Ministry stated that, across the country, 96.25 per cent of Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) were generated by states and Union Territories within 15 days of the closure of muster rolls during 2025-26. Wage payments are credited directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system based on these FTOs.
According to the reply, workers are entitled to compensation for delayed payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The Act provides compensation at the rate of 0.05 per cent of unpaid wages per day for delays beyond the 16th day after the closure of the muster roll.
The Ministry further informed Parliament that the approved delayed compensation during 2025-26 stood at Rs 1.54 crore, while Rs 40.14 lakh had actually been disbursed to beneficiaries, as per NREGASoft data.
The state-wise data placed before Parliament showed that Jammu and Kashmir ranked above several larger states in terms of delayed payments, while only 3.75 per cent of wage payments were delayed nationally during the year.
