Raja Syed Rather
Jammu and Kashmir is grappling with Rs 439.81 crore in pending liabilities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), raising concerns over delayed wage payments to rural workers.
According to data presented in the Lok Sabha, this includes Rs 250.34 crore in unpaid wages and Rs 189.47 crore in material and administrative costs.
In contrast, Ladakh has significantly lower pending liabilities, with Rs 2.30 crore in unpaid wages and no outstanding dues under the material and administrative components. The relatively lower liability suggests more efficient fund utilization in the region compared to J&K.
In Jammu and Kashmir, financial allocations have seen a notable increase, rising from Rs 950.14 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 1,157.98 crore in 2024-25 (as of March 18), despite a slight dip in 2023-24.
Meanwhile, Ladakh, with a comparatively smaller rural workforce, has also witnessed consistent growth in funding, increasing from Rs 59.04 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 85.38 crore in 2024-25 (as of March 18).
The increase in fund allocation for J&K by over Rs 200 crore compared to last year highlights the growing demand for rural employment. However, the backlog in wage payments indicates serious delays in disbursing wages, potentially pushing thousands of rural workers into financial distress.
While the Union Rural Development Ministry has assured that funds are released continuously as per demand, the high level of pending liabilities suggests bottlenecks in fund disbursement and wage processing. The J&K administration may need to streamline its payment mechanisms to prevent wage delays and ensure that MGNREGS functions effectively as a lifeline for rural employment, the data reads.
