The Calcutta High Court has directed the Central Government to restart the MGNREGA rural job scheme in West Bengal from August 1, 2025, stating that a national welfare scheme cannot be kept in “cold storage” forever.
What Is MGNREGA?
MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) is a 100-day job scheme that provides rural households with guaranteed paid employment. It was enacted in 2005 and came into effect in 2006, initially covering 200 districts, before expanding nationwide.
It guarantees:
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100 days of unskilled manual work per year
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Employment for rural households
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Creation of durable public assets like roads, canals, and ponds
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A focus on inclusive development, poverty reduction, and livelihood security
The Central Government stopped MGNREGA in Bengal in March 2022, alleging corruption, misuse of funds, and non-compliance with guidelines.
The TMC-led state government denied the charges and said it had submitted 22 compliance reports, but the Centre still withheld funds.
What the High Court Said
A Division Bench, led by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee Das, ordered the Centre to resume MGNREGA across the entire state, not just selected districts.
“The Centre has sufficient power. The scheme will be restarted across West Bengal from August 1. The Centre may impose any conditions or restrictions it deems necessary to prevent past corruption,” the court stated.
The court also observed that neither the Centre nor the State had taken effective action against those allegedly involved in fund misuse, delaying the scheme’s restoration and denying poor citizens their legal rights under the Act.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh welcomed the High Court’s ruling and accused the Centre of discriminatory treatment:
“Today’s order vindicated our stand and our fight for the central funds. The central government was blocking Bengal’s funds illegally.”
He also pointed out that irregularities have occurred in other states, too, stating:
“They pointed fingers at Bengal, but fake job cards were found in Uttar Pradesh, and the Gujarat minister’s son was involved in an MGNREGA scam.”
The order came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a labour rights group, highlighting that rural citizens were being unfairly denied work under the scheme.
A separate case filed by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was also merged with the PIL.
