Union of MGNREGA workers rue delay in release of wages in West Bengal

Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS) has approached the Calcutta High Court over the issue; the matter was listed for hearing on Tuesday but could not be taken up

Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee continued Dharna for five days in front of Raj Bhawan demanding the release of pending wages under MGNREGA scheme. | Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri

Peeved over the delay in the release of wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), and with no respite from the courts yet, a union of agricultural workers on October 18 once again urged the Centre and State to release the funds.

The Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS), which has approached the Calcutta High Court over the denial of wages to lakhs of workers, pointed out that though the matter was listed before the Bench of Chief Justice T. S. Sivagnanam on Tuesday, the matter could not be taken up for hearing on the day. 

“The case will remain pending before the Puja vacation. The case was last heard on October 9, when the Chief Justice reprimanded the central government and the state government in unambiguous terms for violating the workers’ rights. But due to lack of time that day, the hearing remained unfinished,” a press statement by the PBKMS said.

The PBKMS added that the workers, who had been patiently waiting since December 2021 to receive their due wages, now have to wait for another month to even hope for their matter to be heard before the High Court. Funds for the MGNREGA scheme in West Bengal were stopped in December 2021, and subsequently, the scheme has come to a complete halt in the State. The union of agricultural workers has urged both the Centre and the State government to release wages to the workers.

Recently, the Trinamool Congress leadership, led by party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, held protests in Delhi and Kolkata. Mr. Banerjee had led protests outside the Raj Bhavan and halted them after Governor C.V. Ananda Bose gave the assurance that he would take up the issue with the Centre. Mr. Banerjee has threatened to renew protests if the wages of about 21 lakh workers are not released before October 31.

According to the West Bengal government, funds of about ₹6,907 crore are pending with the Centre, and about 2.5 crore people with job cards in the State are affected because the scheme has come to a halt. The Centre has stopped the funds under Section 27 of the MGNREGA Act since December 24, 2021, on allegations of corruption in the implementation of the scheme. The Centre has sent several teams to the State and suggested a First Information Report (FIR) be filed against those who siphoned the funds, as well as for the recovery of the funds.