7 months without pay: Punjab blames Centre for MGNREGA salary delay
Salaries of MGNREGA staff, including the gram rozgar sevaks, have been pending since January 2026 due to non-receipt of funds from the Centre, Punjab Rural Development Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond informed the Assembly on Thursday.
He was replying to MLA Sandeep Jakhar during the Question Hour of the Punjab Assembly.
Jakhar asked whether the salaries of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers in the state have been pending for the last six months, to which Sond replied in the affirmative.
"The salaries of technical assistants, which are met from the material component, have been paid up to May 2026. But the salaries of the remaining staff, including gram rozgar sevaks, have been pending from January 2026," he said, adding that the delay was due to non-receipt of funds from the Centre.
Gram rozgar sevaks are contractual functionaries appointed at the gram panchayat level to facilitate grassroots execution of the MGNREGA.
The salaries are paid from contingency funds released for administrative expenditure, which are fully provided by the Central government, he said.
"Utilisation Certificates are submitted to the Government of India periodically in support of the fund demand proposals. The latest Utilisation Certificate was submitted on July 24," Sond said.
He said salaries will be paid to MGNREGA staff without delay as soon as funds are received from the Centre.
Sond pointed out that on July 1 this year, the Central government implemented the Viksit Bharat -- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) scheme in place of the MGNREGA.
Under the VB-G RAM G scheme, the first instalment of contingency funds for administrative expenses -- Rs 32 crore from the Centre and Rs 21 crore of the state's share -- is now available. Accordingly, district-level sanctions have been issued for payment of salaries for the July to September period, Sond informed the House.
