CM Abdullah welcomes additional 50 MGNREGA workdays for JK's calamity-hit panchayats

Jammu, Nov 22 (PTI) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday thanked the Centre for increasing the MGNREGA work limit for Jammu and Kashmir, and said this would play a vital role in helping vulnerable communities overcome economic distress in calamity-hit panchayats.

The Centre has approved an increase in the number of person-days provided under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for J&K to 150 from 100.

Abdullah thanked Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the decision and expressed appreciation for the Centre's swift support to J&K.

"This crucial decision will assist thousands of households impacted by recent floods and landslides by ensuring enhanced livelihood opportunities and timely relief," the chief minister said.

The enhanced support would play a vital role in helping vulnerable communities overcome economic distress in the calamity-hit panchayats, he said.

Abdullah also congratulated Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Javid Ahmad Dar and his team for successfully pursuing the Union Ministry of Rural Development.

An official spokesperson said the central government has formally raised the MGNREGA work limit from 100 to 150 days for affected households in Jammu and Kashmir for the financial year 2025-26.

This decision follows the declaration of 1,962 panchayats as flood-affected, after the J&K administration sought special relief to address the adverse impacts on agricultural activities and rural livelihoods, he said.

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had recommended this extension, which will directly benefit the most vulnerable families by creating stable incomes, reducing economic hardships and enabling the creation of durable community assets, he added.

According to the spokesperson, the additional employment support will be implemented with revised management protocols and enhanced monitoring through NREGA Soft, the national MIS system, which is being updated to record the extra workdays. PTI TAS DIV DIV