3.24 Lakh PMAY-G Houses Completed, 18.11 Lakh MGNREGA Workers Complete e-KYC in Jammu Kashmir  | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Secretary, Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, on Wednesday reviewed the progress of MGNREGA, PMAY-G and ongoing Union Territory Capex works for the financial year 2026–27, directing officials to accelerate employment generation and execution of development projects across Jammu and Kashmir.

During the review meeting, officials informed that more than 18.11 lakh workers had completed e-KYC out of 20.94 lakh registered MGNREGA workers across the Union Territory. They also stated that over 6.13 lakh assets had been accepted under GeoMGNREGA tagging, while around 20,535 cases remained pending for further action.

Reviewing PMAY-G implementation, officials said that out of 3.35 lakh sanctioned houses, more than 3.24 lakh had been completed, achieving a completion rate of 97 per cent across Jammu and Kashmir. The remaining houses are expected to be completed within one month.

The meeting reviewed progress under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), including person-day generation, technical estimates, geotagging of assets, irrigation works, pending material claims and e-KYC verification of workers. Progress under the “One Panchayat, One Playground” initiative, Yuktdhara planning and UT Capex works was also assessed.

Aijaz Asad directed Assistant Commissioners Development to place greater emphasis on person-day generation under MGNREGA, stating that employment generation remained central to strengthening rural livelihoods. He instructed field officers to expedite execution of approved works, ensure timely opening of worksites and facilitate labour engagement at the grassroots level.

The Secretary also directed district officers to prioritise labour-intensive activities, including desilting works, under MGNREGA. Expressing concern over delays in technical approvals, he instructed officers to expedite the process.

Regarding the “One Panchayat, One Playground” initiative, officials informed the meeting that 2,402 Gram Panchayats already had playgrounds, while proposals for uncovered Panchayats had been incorporated into the Annual Action Plan for 2026–27. The Secretary directed officials to ensure that every Gram Panchayat has at least one playground and asked them to coordinate with Deputy Commissioners for identification of suitable land.

The meeting further reviewed Yuktdhara planning, with officials stating that works from the Yuktdhara portal had been received from 79 per cent of Gram Panchayats across the Union Territory.

Special emphasis was laid on desilting irrigation khuls under MGNREGA in coordination with the Irrigation and Flood Control Department. Officials informed the meeting that 805 irrigation-related works had been taken up in Kashmir division, while 89 works were under execution in Jammu division.

The meeting was attended by Director RDD Kashmir Riyaz Ahmad Wani, Director RDD Jammu Shahnaz Akhtar, Additional Secretary Waseem Raja, Superintending Engineers of the Rural Engineering Wing, Assistant Commissioners Development, Executive Engineers and other officials.

Progress on ongoing UT Capex projects, including Panchayat infrastructure works, DDC and BDC office buildings, residential accommodation and Panchayat Ghars, was also reviewed during the meeting.