SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday told the Assembly that it has no proposal to regularise MGNREGA support staff, clarifying that nearly 3,800 personnel are currently working on a purely temporary and contractual basis across the Union Territory.
The information was provided by the Minister in charge of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in a written response to a query raised by MLA Mir Mohammad Fayaz.
The government said around 3,800 support staff are engaged under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in JK, and their honorarium has been revised from time to time since their initial contractual engagement.
It said the staff are deployed at multiple levels—Panchayat, Block, District, Divisional and Union Territory—and play a key role in implementing the rural employment scheme at the grassroots level.
On the issue of regularisation, the government reiterated that all MGNREGA support staff are engaged under a centrally sponsored scheme on a contractual basis, valid only for the tenure of the contract or the duration of the scheme, whichever ends earlier. Their engagement, it added, is not against any sanctioned posts.
“As on date, there is no proposal regarding regularisation of services of staff engaged under MGNREGA,” the government stated.
However, the department noted that the honorarium of support staff has been periodically enhanced, with the latest revision notified under Government Order No. 49-RD and PR of 2024 dated January 30, 2024. Under the revised structure, the monthly honorarium for Gram Rozgar Sevaks has been increased from Rs 6,806 to Rs 10,209; Technical Assistants from Rs 11,000 to Rs 16,500; MIS Operators from Rs 11,000 to Rs 13,200; and Administrative/Accounts Assistants from Rs 6,806 to Rs 10,209.
The government added that any further revision in honorarium will be taken up in future meetings of the State Employment Guarantee Council (SEGC).
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is an Indian law passed in 2005 that guarantees 100 days of wage employment annually to rural households with adult members willing to do unskilled manual work. -(KL)
