With the funds to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) stopped in West Bengal for almost 18 months, the State government is mulling over its own scheme for providing 100 days work to the people of the State. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has brought back her 2021 Assembly poll slogan ‘Khela hobe’ (the game is on) for the reinvention of the scheme. She has said it will take a few months to bring out its modalities.

The development assumes significance as the new Board at the three tier panchayats after the recently concluded panchayat polls will be operational in the State from August 16. A 100 days of work under the MGNREGA has remained one of the key schemes implemented through the panchayats in the State, and the stoppage of funds since December 2021 has brought it to a complete halt in West Bengal.

Funds to the tune of ₹2,786 crore under the MGNREGA are pending with the Centre and no allocation was made to the State for the years 2022 and 2023. Lakhs of workers have been denied wages due to them. 

The Centre has stopped providing funds to the State under Section 27 of the MGNREGA Act, which says the Central government may order stoppage of release of funds to the scheme and institute “appropriate remedial measures for its proper implementation within a reasonable period of time”. The Ministry of Rural Development had stopped the funds based on allegations of corruption in the implementation of MGNREGA in West Bengal.

With the funds to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) stopped in West Bengal for almost 18 months, the State government is mulling over its own scheme for providing 100 days work to the people of the State. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has brought back her 2021 Assembly poll slogan ‘Khela hobe’ (the game is on) for the reinvention of the scheme. She has said it will take a few months to bring out its modalities.

The development assumes significance as the new Board at the three tier panchayats after the recently concluded panchayat polls will be operational in the State from August 16. A 100 days of work under the MGNREGA has remained one of the key schemes implemented through the panchayats in the State, and the stoppage of funds since December 2021 has brought it to a complete halt in West Bengal.