Calcutta HC Orders MGNREGA Resumption in Bengal
Subinoy Moulik
IN a landmark judgment, the Calcutta High Court has ordered the central government to resume the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in West Bengal by August 1, 2025. Delivered on June 18 by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay Das, the ruling ends a three-year freeze on the scheme, citing the urgency of restoring rural employment while addressing corruption concerns. The verdict came in response to a petition filed by the Paschim Banga Khet Majur Samity and marks a significant win for kisan and agricultural workers’ organizations in various villages.
Welcoming the order, the West Bengal unit of Samyukta Kisan Morcha called it a victory for sustained struggles by peasants and agricultural workers. The mismanagement and corruption by the state government had led the Centre to withhold funds, pushing rural youth into mass migration for work. The court’s ruling validates the persistent protests and legal efforts demanding the scheme’s reinstatement.
The All India Agricultural Workers’ Union also hailed the verdict, criticising the Centre for penalising the rural poor instead of swiftly investigating and addressing corruption under Section 27 of the MGNREGA Act. The union had consistently mobilised through sit-ins, marches, mass deputations, and applications for work (Form 4A), most recently raising the demand at the April 20 Brigade rally. The court’s directive is thus seen as a crucial step toward restoring livelihoods in Bengal’s rural heartlands.
Following the Calcutta High Court’s directive to resume MGNREGA work in West Bengal by August 1, rural workers and unions now demand immediate implementation. Their key demands include payment of pending wages, extension of guaranteed work from 100 to 200 days, a daily wage of Rs 600, and state-level wage revision from Rs 250 to 323. They also call for strict action against corrupt officials and increased central funding for the scheme.
Advocates Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and Shamim Ahmed, who represented the petitioners, emphasized the urgency of restoring livelihoods and investigating financial irregularities. The scheme had been stalled since December 2021 due to allegations of fund misuse, with the Centre citing irregularities worth over Rs 613 crore in several districts.
While acknowledging the corruption, Chief Justice Sivagnanam ruled that halting work indefinitely violated the purpose of MGNREGA. He directed that work resume in all districts except the four with high-level irregularities and stressed that workers should not suffer for administrative failures. The court affirmed the Centre’s authority to oversee investigations but underscored that public welfare cannot be held hostage to past mismanagement.
A four-member committee had earlier confirmed partial recovery of misused funds. The ruling also addressed the need to clear unpaid wages dating back to 2021, with petitioners demanding interest on delays.
This ruling marks a pivotal moment for West Bengal's rural economy, bringing renewed hope to millions of rural poor. It underscores the need to address issues without compromising public welfare. With the August 1 deadline approaching, all eyes are now on the central government to implement the court’s directive and restore MGNREGA’s vital role in the state.
