The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the Union government to immediately resume work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in West Bengal, The Indian Express reported.

In March 2022, the Union rural development ministry had suspended MNREGS funding to West Bengal, citing widespread irregularities and alleged violations of the scheme’s implementation rules by the state government.

West Bengal received Rs 7,507.8 crore in the financial year 2021-’22 under MNREGS but has received no funds in the following three financial years.

During the hearing, senior state counsel Kalyan Bandhopadhyay submitted that the pending wages of the workers must also be released by the Union government.

“The [Centre] is to pay the wages, but the state government has already disbursed some,” The Indian Express quoted Bandhopadhyay as saying. “There is around Rs 4,500 crore in arrears.”

However, Additional Solicitor General Ashok Chakraborty, appearing for the Union government, argued that there had been “absolute misappropriation of funds by the state” and said that an inquiry had already been conducted, the newspaper reported.

The court then directed the Union government to file its affidavit in opposition of the disbursement of pending wages within four weeks.

The petitioners have been given two weeks after that to submit their affidavit in reply.

The matter will be heard again once both submissions are filed.

Earlier on June 18, another Calcutta High Court bench had directed the Centre to resume implementation of the scheme, stating that the Union and state governments may impose special conditions to prevent irregularities.

The Union government challenged this in the Supreme Court, which on October 27, dismissed the plea and upheld the High Court’s directive.

The implementation did not begin, prompting further petitions.

MNREGS was introduced in 2005 by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance and is aimed at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas. The scheme guarantees 100 days of unskilled work annually for every rural household that wants it, covering all districts in the country.

Funds for the scheme are contributed by the state and the Union governments.

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