No eKYC on Your Job Card? You Can Still Get NREGA Work

Last updated: 30 October 2026

Over the past few months one message has travelled from village to village: “If you haven’t done eKYC, your job card will be cancelled and you won’t get work.” Some people even paid cyber cafés to get it done in a hurry.

So, the straight answer first: eKYC is not a condition for getting work. In August 2026 the Centre made it clear that nobody should be turned away from work because their eKYC is pending.

Then why bother?

You are not required to – but it helps you. Once your identity is confirmed through Aadhaar, attendance and payment mix-ups become less likely, and it is harder for someone to mark fake attendance in your name. Where wages get stuck, the cause is often a mismatch between Aadhaar and the bank account.

Where and how

eKYC is done at the Gram Panchayat by the Rozgar Sevak or an authorised official. Take your job card and Aadhaar card. It is free – there is no reason to pay anyone. The full steps are in our eKYC guide.

Before you go

If the name on your Aadhaar and the name on your job card are very different – “Sunita Devi” on one and just “Sunita” on the other – get the job card corrected at the panchayat first.

The bank account that receives your wages should be active and linked to Aadhaar. An account that has not been used for a long time can become inactive; one visit to the branch usually fixes that.

Never tell an OTP to someone who calls you, even if they say they are from the panchayat or the bank. OTP scams around eKYC are common.

If someone refuses you work

Ask for work in writing and take a receipt (the form is here). If you are refused only because of eKYC, report it in writing to the block programme officer. You can also raise it at the Gram Sabha or the social audit.

And check the list for your own name, so you are going by what you have seen rather than a rumour: how to check the job card list.