The Center owes West Bengal ₹ 3,082.52 crore, of which ₹ 1,457.22 crore is wages payable for completed work by registered MGNREGA workers. File | Photo credit: The Hindu
The Union Ministry of Rural Development is currently in the “process of redesigning and fine-tuning the necessary modalities and procedures” to revive the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in West Bengal, the Rajya Sabha said on Friday (December 5, 2025).
Union Minister of State Kamlesh Paswan gave this reply to a question raised by Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’ Brien.
The Center stopped the release of MGNREGA funds to West Bengal in March 2022, citing the state’s continued non-compliance with central directives and the provisions of Section 27 of the Act. In June this year, the Calcutta High Court ordered the restoration of MGNREGA in the state. The center appealed to the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court’s decision from October.
“Settlement of political accounts”
Trinamool Congress MPs staged a protest at the Parliament complex on Friday (Dec 5, 2025), highlighting outstanding central dues for West Bengal and accusing the “vindictive regime” of starving the entire state to settle political scores. The Center owes ₹3,082.52 crore to the state, of which ₹1,457.22 crore is wages for completed work of registered workers.
Before the funds were stopped in March 2022, West Bengal was one of the top performing states under the scheme, Mr O’Brien told The Hindu. “These workers dug ponds, repaired roads, built dams. They earned their wages honestly. They waited silently, invisibly, for over three years,” he said.
If the scheme continues without a break, the TMC claims that ₹45,000 crore would be spent in the state over three years from March 2022. Mr O’Brien asked: “After more than three years of funding freezes, does the (Union) Government recognize the fact that it has turned the statutory right to work into a political weapon against the rural people of Bengal?”
Only 20% funds remain
On a national scale, the program has already used up almost 80% of the allocated funds for the financial year 2025-2026, with almost four months left until the end of the year. The total budget for the year was ₹86,000 crore, of which nearly ₹68,400 crore was spent, the Rajya Sabha ministry said.
There are 27.64 million workers registered in the scheme, of which 12.16 million are active workers. A beneficiary who has worked during the last three financial years is called an active worker under the scheme.
Published – 05 Dec 2025 19:45 IST
