SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Rural Development has released over Rs 1,447 crore to Jammu Kashmir under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for the current financial year, including Rs 1,272.65 crore for wages and Rs 174.57 crore for material and administrative components, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
The funds have supported thousands of works across the Union Territory, generating substantial employment and aiding rural development.
The government emphasised that MGNREGA is a demand-driven wage employment scheme, and wage payments are made directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, ensuring timely and transparent disbursal. Pending wage liabilities for Jammu & Kashmir stand at Rs 218.16 crore for wages and Rs 249.76 crore for material components, while no pending administrative liabilities remain, and all dues up to FY 2024-25 have been cleared.
Officials highlighted that the scheme has undergone major technological strengthening through platforms such as NREGASoft, Public Financial Management System (PFMS), and a suite of mobile and geospatial applications. These include the National Mobile Monitoring Service for worker attendance, the Area Officer Monitoring App for field inspections, and geospatial planning tools like Yuktdhara and GeoNREGA, which track works from planning to completion. Groundwater monitoring is facilitated through the JALDOOT app, while citizen engagement and grievance redressal are enhanced through JANMANREGA and the Ombudsperson App.
The Ministry also noted that social audits are conducted regularly, with 27 states and one UT having established independent social audit units to review Gram Panchayat works at least twice a year. Continuous monitoring, including by central-level officers and Common Review Mission teams, ensures accountability and effective implementation of MGNREGA projects.
The government emphasised that the integrated MIS platform enables end-to-end monitoring of all aspects of the scheme—from job card issuance to payment approval—while capacity-building programs for field functionaries ensure smooth operation of wage and material disbursement.
According to the Ministry, these efforts have strengthened fund flow, transparency, and accountability in the Union Territory, contributing to rural employment, asset creation, and the economic well-being of communities across Jammu Kashmir.
