In a situation that highlights a deepening administrative and financial crisis, nearly 2,100 employees responsible for running the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Punjab have not received their salaries for at least the past three months. This payment delay comes even as the state government recently passed a resolution opposing the Centre's proposed Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, known as the VB-G RAM G Act.
Scale of the Salary Crisis and Pending Wages
The affected staff, whose salaries are drawn from a contingency fund constituting six per cent of the total MGNREGS budget, include gram rozgar sewaks (GRS), technical assistants (TAs), assistant programme officers (APOs), accountants, IT managers, and computer operators. These individuals manage the day-to-day logistics, data entry, and monitoring of MGNREGS works across the state.
Tarsem Peter, president of the Pendu Mazdoor Union (PMU), provided a grim breakdown, stating that out of the 2,100 staff, approximately 226 technical assistants have gone without pay for six months, while the remainder have been unpaid for three months. The monthly salaries for these roles vary significantly: GRS earn between Rs 10,700 and Rs 17,000, TAs get Rs 17,500 to Rs 28,000, APOs draw Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000, and computer operators receive Rs 11,000 to Rs 25,000.
The financial distress extends far beyond administrative staff. According to the MGNREGA portal, wages worth Rs 13.74 crore for unskilled workers are pending in the current financial year. An additional Rs 7.6 crore is due to semi-skilled and skilled workers, and a staggering Rs 153.11 crore for material purchases for village-level projects remains unpaid. Major Singh, a worker from Todar Mal village in Gurdaspur, echoed the plight of many, stating he and others have not received wages for over two months despite completing their assigned work.
Official Silence and the Utilisation Certificate Hurdle
While officials from the Ludhiana district administration confirmed the statewide salary delays, they remained largely tight-lipped on the reasons. One official indicated that the state has been told to take up the matter with the Centre. When questioned about the release of funds from the earmarked contingency budget, officials declined to comment.
Sources familiar with the process explained that funds, including those for salaries, are typically released after the submission of Utilisation Certificates (UCs) for completed projects. They revealed that UCs worth nearly Rs 350 crore for completed projects were submitted on December 31, 2025, and that the release of salaries and wages is contingent upon receiving funds following this submission.
Political Battles and Fear of Scheme's Collapse
The salary delay has ignited strong political reactions and fears about the future of MGNREGS in Punjab. Tarsem Peter sharply criticized the state government's priorities, asking, "Is the government’s job over by merely passing a resolution against an Act already passed in Parliament?" He questioned the government's commitment to MGNREGS when it fails to ensure timely salary payments for the staff managing it.
The concerns are amplified by the proposed VB-G RAM G Act. Bhupesh Baghel, All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Punjab, addressing a 'MGNREGS Bachao Sangram' in Bathinda, warned that the new scheme could bring works to a halt in the state. He cited fears from gram sewaks that if the state's contribution share rises from 10% to a proposed 40%, it may become unmanageable, potentially leading to job losses for both staff and workers.
With salaries and wages stuck in limbo and the future funding model under a cloud, the very implementation of the crucial rural employment guarantee scheme in Punjab faces severe uncertainty, leaving thousands of families in financial distress.
