Mamata demands that BJP-led Centre release all MNREGA pending dues
'The court has ordered that work must resume from August. But for four years, no work was done, no money was released. Our leaders staged protests in Delhi, and cases were filed against them. Central ministers didn't even meet them. We were humiliated in many ways,' the chief minister said in a press conference at Nabanna on Wednesday.
'We paid the workers from state funds. That money must be returned. The Centre must calculate the dues from the day the scheme was stopped and pay accordingly. Why was our share of the money given to other states? That is a crime,' she added.
The central government which funds the scheme entirely had suspended MGNREGA funding to West Bengal in March 2022, citing large-scale misappropriation.
West Bengal received Rs 7,507.80 crore under MGNREGA in the 2021–22 financial year. However, since then, no funds have been disbursed. The Centre had justified its actions by citing inconsistencies found in 31 out of 63 inspected worksites, according to RTI replies.
'Funds for the 100-day work scheme were not provided. People were made to work, but no payment was given. Who will pay them? We did—from the state government's own resources, through the 'Karmashree' scheme. And now they've come to celebrate 'Bangla Diwas'—those who have constantly insulted and deprived Bengal.'
'We will review this petition. You are sending teams to Bengal, but first, release the funds. It has been four years, and not a single rupee has been given. This is public money,' she said.
The chief minister was referring to a four-member verification committee comprising representatives from the Central and State Governments, along with officials from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Accountant General. In April 2025, the committee reported that Rs 24 crore had been recovered from the districts under investigation.
Additional Solicitor General Ashok Kumar Chakraborty, representing the Centre, said in the court that central investigation teams uncovered irregularities in districts like Hooghly, East Bardhaman, Malda, and Darjeeling, involving embezzlement of over Rs 50 crores. A broader audit revealed anomalies amounting to Rs 613 crores, of which Rs 2.1 crores had been recovered by the state as of 2024.
However, the court observed that the grievances of genuine workers cannot be ignored on account of administrative or political concerns marking a major development in the long-standing deadlock over the rural employment programme.
'All the allegations are from before 2022. You are free to take any action regarding those. But the project must be started now,' Chief Justice Sivagnanam observed in response during the hearing. The court further clarified that MGNREGA, as legislated, does not allow for its indefinite suspension even in the face of corruption charges, and that any such action violates the spirit of the Act.
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