West Bengal government and Centre are not keen for resumption of MGNREGA, despite Calcuttal HC order

While directing the resumption of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in West Bengal, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, led by T. S. Sivagnanam, on June 18, spoke about drawing a line between past actions and future steps to be taken to implement the scheme. The division bench, while resolving the three-year imbroglio, pointed out that the Act “does not envisage a situation where the scheme will be put to cold storage for eternity”.

Despite the High Court order to resume the scheme from August 1, 100 day work has not started and it seems that neither the government at the state nor at the Centre are keen to resume the scheme.

The suspension of the scheme has dominated politics in the State for the past three years. Before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool Congress leaders paraded MGNREGA beneficiaries in Delhi and highlighted the Centre was depriving the workers of the State of its rightful dues. However, after the High Court directed resumption of the scheme, the response of the ruling party has been lukewarm.

In several public gatherings between June 18 and August 1, West Bengal Chief Minister gave no hints on the resumption of the 100-day work. Instead, Ms. Banerjee spoke about Karmashree Prakalpa, a scheme aimed to provide at least 50 days of wage employment to each job card holder household in a financial year. 

Since the court has directed resumption of the scheme, the Trinamool Congress cannot use the ‘Centre’s deprivation’ card any more. The party, instead, is highlighting that the Centre owes ₹3,000 crore to the State under the scheme. However, the pending funds are no hindrance in the way of resumption of the scheme.

The Centre, on the other hand, has not also shown any willingness to comply with the High Court order and continues to hide behind Section 27 of the MGNREGA Act, blocking the release of funds and work, systematically depriving West Bengal’s workers of their legal right to employment. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of West Bengal who have publicly opposed resumption of the scheme do not want the State government to get any allocation under the scheme before the Assembly polls.

Neither of the governments are willing to resume the scheme when West Bengal is facing a huge migrant crisis, with millions leaving the State in search of work. In the past six weeks after thousands of people have approached the authorities expressing their willingness to work under the scheme, but there seems to be clarity on whether the scheme will resume or not.

As fate of the scheme and workers hangs in balance West Bengal is heading for Assembly polls in 2026. The resumption of the scheme could have provided succour to millions of workers in the State but may not have served political interests of the TMC and BJP.

It was Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS) , a union of agricultural workers that approached the High Court seeking resumption of MGNREGA. The union put up a legal fight for three years to ensure that the work under the scheme can start again. The union however blamed “willful inaction by both the governments” for not resuming the work.

Demanding the immediate implementation of MGNREGA work in West Bengal, as per the High Court order, the PBKMS stated that non resumption of work was blatant “non-compliance with a High Court order is illegal, unjust, and unacceptable”.