'No pay till work is done': Rajashthan collector’s push for welfare delivery

An estimated 30,000 residents in Rajsamand fall within the poor category and rely on monthly government assistance for basic needs. (Representative photo)

• Rajsamand collector forgoes salary to speed up welfare scheme verifications
• 88 percent of beneficiaries verified within 48 hours after the pledge
• Over 15,000 farmers registered under Agri Stack after field camps initiated

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In an unusual administrative move, the district collector of Rajasthan’s Rajsamand has reportedly decided not to draw his salary until pending verifications are completed and eligible residents are brought under key government welfare schemes.

According to Collector Arun Kumar Hasija, the decision was aimed at energising the district administration and ensuring the timely delivery of benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the Palanhar Yojana for children without parental support, and social security pension schemes for widows, single women, and senior citizens.

Explaining his approach, Hasija said coercion was not the solution.

"There are two ways to get work done. Either I crack the whip and pressure officers, or I motivate them. I have chosen motivation so that the work is completed on time," he has been cited in the NDTV report.

An estimated 30,000 residents in Rajsamand fall within the poor category and rely on monthly government assistance for basic needs. Delays in verification often deprive beneficiaries of support for months at a stretch, said Hasija, as cited in the report.

“If our salary is delayed by even 10 days, we struggle with school fees, EMIs and household expenses,” he said. “Now think about those who survive on just Rs 1,500 a month. When that amount is delayed for three months due to paperwork, it becomes a serious injustice," he stated.

As official figures show, Rajsamand has 1,90,440 social security pension beneficiaries.

Following Hasija’s announcement, enrolment and verification saw a sharp rise, with 88 percent of beneficiaries verified within 48 hours. While 1,67,688 cases have been completed, verification for 22,752 beneficiaries remains pending. The district administration expects similar acceleration in enrolment under NFSA ration schemes and the Palanhar Yojana.

“This is a personal pledge,” Hasija has been quoted in the report, further adding, “I am not forcing anyone else to do this. Until verification is completed, I will not take my January salary.” He added that officers have committed to finishing the process by January 31.

The salary-forgoing decision follows a pattern of unconventional governance initiatives by the IAS officer. Earlier, while conducting night chaupals in villages, Hasija noticed that Rajsamand was lagging in farmer enrolment under the Centre’s Agri Stack programme. To address this, the district launched a ‘Farmers’ Rights Registration Fortnight’.

Under the initiative, officials were instructed to visit villages between 4 pm and 8 pm, when farmers are typically available. The move initially triggered resistance, with the Patwar Sangh threatening a strike over extended working hours. Hasija said he convinced revenue officials by outlining how the system would reduce their workload in the long run.

Revenue officials subsequently set up on-the-spot registration camps in village squares, temples and farmlands, using laptops, tablets and mobile devices. In just 15 days, 15,373 farmers were registered on the central portal. Rajsamand has over two lakh farmers, more than half of whom are now enrolled, as per the report.

Once registered, farmers receive direct income support of Rs 6,000 three times a year, with the state government topping up the amount to Rs 8,000 per instalment, Hasija said. Disaster-related input subsidies are also credited directly to farmers’ bank accounts.

Rajasthan continues to face a substantial backlog in welfare enrolment across districts. Around 20.36 lakh people are currently excluded from benefits under social security pensions, the Palanhar Scheme and NFSA due to incomplete annual verification. The state has more than 71.46 lakh pension beneficiaries and over four crore individuals covered under food security schemes.

The delays have been attributed to complex procedures, repeated visits to government offices and lack of awareness, prompting administrators to experiment with incentive-based and field-driven approaches to close the gap.