SRINAGAR: Supporting staff engaged under the erstwhile Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Jammu and Kashmir are paid monthly honoraria of Rs 13,200 for MIS Operators and Rs 16,500 for Technical Assistants, with no separate notified policy providing for automatic or periodic enhancement of their remuneration.
The Government said their payments are governed by the terms of engagement, applicable scheme guidelines and orders, and the availability of funds under the administrative component of the scheme.
The details were provided in a written reply to Un-Starred A.Q. No. 1/6/129 tabled by Samba MLA Surjit Singh Slathia in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
The current honoraria were revised through Government Order No. 49-RD&PR of 2024 dated 30 January 2024, subject to the conditions of engagement and availability of funds.
The Government also clarified that the Jammu and Kashmir Contractual Appointment Rules, 2003, commonly referred to as SRO-255, did not apply generally to all contractual or scheme-based workers.
SRO-255 dated August 5, 2003 was framed to regulate contractual appointments against specified Government posts. Under Rule 3, its applicability was restricted to posts notified through Government Order No. 1018-GAD of 2003 dated August 5, 2003 and any other posts subsequently notified by the General Administration Department.
According to the Government, MGNREGA supporting staff were engaged under the scheme-specific administrative framework and against its administrative component. Their appointments were governed by the terms, conditions and guidelines of the scheme.
The department therefore said such staff did not fall within the category of persons appointed under SRO-255 and were not engaged against posts notified under the 2003 Government order or subsequent notifications issued under Rule 3.
The Government further said the question of non-implementation of SRO-255 in respect of MGNREGA staff did not arise in the manner stated.
It also pointed out that the Jammu and Kashmir Contractual Appointment Rules, 2003 were repealed under Section 15 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Special Provisions) Act, 2010.
The 2010 Act was subsequently repealed in its entirety through S.O. 1229(E) dated March 31, 2020 under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order, 2020.
The Government did not indicate any separate policy for regularising the MGNREGA supporting staff in the reply.
