TMC, Left hail SC order dismissing Centre’s plea on MGNREGA funds to Bengal: ‘Rebuke to its arrogance’ | Kolkata News

TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee called the Supreme Court’s ruling a “historic victory for the people of Bengal” and accused the BJP-led Centre of imposing an “economic blockade” on West Bengal by withholding wages.

In a post on X, he said the verdict was a rebuke to Delhi’s “arrogance and injustice.”

“Another crushing defeat for the Bohiragoto Bangla-Birodhi Zamindars ( Foreign anti-Bengali zamindars). The Hon’ble Supreme Court today dismissed the Centre’s plea challenging the High Court’s order directing the resumption of MGNREGA in Bengal. When they failed to defeat us politically, the BJP weaponised deprivation, snatching away the wages of the poor and punishing the people for standing by Maa, Mati, Manush. But Bengal does not yield. They take from Bengal, yet refuse to return her dues. Now, they’ve been defeated in the people’s vote and in the Supreme Court,” he posted on X.

TMC MP Kalyan Bandyopadhyay, who represented the state government in the court, said the Supreme Court’s decision highlighted the fact that the Centre has been withholding the funds meant for West Bengal.

“The Centre withheld 100-day work money against the interests of the people of Bengal. The High Court had already ruled in favour of resuming the scheme, and the Supreme Court’s quick dismissal of the Centre’s plea reinforced that judgment,” Bandyopadhyay said.

The Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, a group of unorganised labourers, which had filed a petition in the High Court, demanding the release of MGNREGA funds, welcomed the Supreme Court’s order.

“Today’s dismissal of Centre’s plea by the Supreme Court marks a decisive victory for Bengal’s rural workers and a resounding affirmation that the right to work cannot be denied or delayed. This is not merely a legal win, it is a victory of dignity, labour, and collective struggle,” said Anuradha Talwar, a state committee member of the Khet Mazur Samity, adding that the organisation would continue to press for full compliance on the ground.

CPI(M) leader Bikasranjan Bhattacharya, who represented the Khet Majoor Samity in the High Court, said the top court’s order would restore work and wages to poor rural families. “The central government has wrongfully withheld funds for this project. As a result of the court’s order, the poor will get work again,” he said.

Invoking Section 27 of the MGNREGA, the Centre had withheld funds to West Bengal in 2022, citing corruption and “non-compliance” of its directives”. Since then, no work under MGNREGS has taken place in the state.

Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha on December 6, 2023, the then Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh said a total of Rs 13,965.91 crore was pending as the Central’s share for the state under two schemes — MG-NREGS and PMAY-G. The West Bengal government, on the other hand, has been claiming that the total dues amount to Rs 18,000 crore under three rural development schemes — MG-NRGES, PMAY-G, and PMGSY.