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Implementation of the scheme in the state was suspended more than three years ago and the TMC-led government there had been urging the Ministry to resume the scheme (Representative image)
Days after a setback in the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has decided to consider resumption of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in West Bengal under “special conditions”, The Indian Express has learnt.
Implementation of the scheme in the state was suspended more than three years ago and the TMC-led government there had been urging the Ministry to resume the scheme.
It is learnt that the Ministry informed the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) last week that it may “consider” resumption of the MGNREGS in West Bengal under “special conditions”. The PMO had sought a report from the Ministry on the issue.
An email from The Indian Express seeking comments from the Ministry did not elicit a response. On October 27, the Supreme Court dismissed the Centre’s special leave petition challenging a June 18 order of the Calcutta High Court which directed implementation of the MGNREGS in West Bengal prospectively from August 1, 2025. The High Court had left it to the Centre to impose “special conditions” for implementation of the scheme in the state.
In its order, the High Court had stated that “the appropriate authority of the Central Government is fully empowered to impose special conditions, restrictions and regulations etc. which have not been imposed in other states in the country so as to ensure that no illegality or irregularity occurs while the scheme is being implemented prospectively from August, 2025 onward”.
The Ministry decided to challenge the High Court order before the Supreme Court and filed the SLP on July 31, a day before the order for implementation was to come into effect. That petition was dismissed on October 27.
Invoking Section 27 of the MGNREGA, 2005, the Centre had suspended release of funds to West Bengal from March 9, 2022 “due to non-compliance of directives of Central Government”. Since then, no work under the scheme has taken place in the state. Before the scheme’s suspension, 51 lakh to 80 lakh families in the state used to avail it annually between 2014-15 and 2021-22.
Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
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