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Court Directs Union Government to Restart MGNREGS

On Wednesday, the Calcutta High Court instructed the Union government to recommence the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in West Bengal, effective from August 1. This decision follows a report from a legal news outlet.

The Union Ministry of Rural Development had halted funding for MGNREGS in West Bengal back in March 2022, citing significant irregularities and breaches of the scheme's operational guidelines by the state authorities.

In the financial year 2021-2022, West Bengal received ₹7,507.8 crore under MGNREGS, but no funds have been allocated in the subsequent three financial years, as reported by a news source.

During the hearing, a division bench led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee addressed the issue of unpaid MGNREGS dues owed to daily wage workers following the Union government's claims.

The bench acknowledged that both the Union and state governments could impose specific conditions to mitigate the irregularities that plagued the scheme's execution, but emphasized that it should be reinstated moving forward.

The court noted that while the Centre has pointed out certain irregularities in wage disbursement under MGNREGS, this does not warrant a prolonged suspension of the program.

The bench remarked, 'All these allegations date back to before 2022; you may conduct your investigations, but the scheme must be implemented.'

MGNREGS was launched in 2005 by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, aiming to improve livelihood security for rural households. The initiative guarantees 100 days of unskilled work annually for every rural household that requests it, encompassing all districts across the nation.