Centre ‘reworking and refining’ procedures to resume MGNREGA scheme in West Bengal

The Union Ministry of Rural Development is currently in the “process of reworking and refining the necessary modalities and procedures” to resume the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in West Bengal, it told the Rajya Sabha on Friday (December 5, 2025).

Union Minister of State Kamlesh Paswan filed this reply to a question raised by the Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’ Brien.

The Centre stopped releasing MGNREGA funds to West Bengal in March 2022, citing the State’s continued non-compliance with Central directives, and invoking the provisions of Section 27 of the Act. In June this year, the Calcutta High Court ordered the resumption of MGNREGA in the State. The Centre appealed to the Supreme Court, which sustained the High Court’s order in October.

‘Settling political scores’

Trinamool Congress MPs staged a protest in the Parliament complex on Friday (December 5, 2025), highlighting the pending Central dues for West Bengal, and accusing a “vindictive regime” of starving an entire State to settle political scores. The Centre owes the State ₹3,082.52 crore, of which ₹1,457.22 crore is the wages due for completed work by registered workers. 

Before the funds were stopped in March 2022, West Bengal was one of the top-performing states under the scheme, Mr. O’Brien told The Hindu. “These workers dug ponds, repaired roads, built embankments. They earned their wages honestly. For over three years, they have waited silently, invisibly,” he said.

Had the scheme continued without a break, the TMC claims that ₹45,000 crore would have been spent in the State in the three years since March 2022. Mr. O’Brien asked: “After over three years of freezing funds, does the [Union] government accept that it has effectively converted a legal right-to-work into a political weapon against Bengal’s rural people?”  

Only 20% funds left

Nationwide, the scheme has already spent almost 80% of allocated funds for the financial year 2025-26, with almost four months left in the year. The total budget allocation for the year was ₹86,000, of which nearly ₹68,400 crore has been spent, the Ministry told the Rajya Sabha.

There are a 27.64 crore registered workers under the scheme out of which 12.16 crore are active workers. A beneficiary who has worked during the last three financial years is called an active worker under the scheme.