The Supreme Court has given a significant ruling, upholding a Calcutta High Court order that directs the central government to reinstate the MGNREGA scheme in West Bengal. This decision comes after the scheme was put on hold in 2022 following allegations of financial misconduct.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta dismissed an appeal filed by the Centre against the High Court’s earlier order. The High Court had acknowledged the alleged embezzlement but emphasized that it should not indefinitely halt the scheme. It proposed that the Centre could implement specific conditions or restrictions for West Bengal and mandated the scheme’s resumption from August 1.
During the proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, argued that the High Court’s directive to restart MGNREGA was inappropriate, given the widespread corruption allegations that led to its suspension. However, the Supreme Court bench stated, “We are not convinced that the order requires any interference,” leading to the dismissal of the Centre’s appeal.
The High Court’s initial order was issued while considering a petition from the Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity. The Samity had highlighted the non-payment of dues to daily wage laborers working under the MGNREGA, a scheme designed to guarantee 100 days of employment annually.
The High Court’s approach distinguished between past alleged wrongdoings and the ongoing operation of the scheme. It directed the Centre to resume MGNREGA prospectively, stating that wage payment irregularities should not indefinitely put the scheme “in cold storage.” The court further clarified, “The scheme of the act does not envisage a situation where it would be put to cold storage for eternity…there can be a line drawn between past actions and future steps to be taken for implementation.” Consequently, while allowing the central government to continue its inquiries, the court ordered the scheme’s implementation to commence from August 1, 2025.
Senior advocate S Muralidhar represented the petitioner in the Supreme Court, with the state government also being a party in the case.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee expressed his views, describing the verdict as a major setback for those who believed West Bengal could be intimidated. He stated, “Our dues aren’t released even after the Supreme Court’s say, Bengal will rise and take the fight again to Delhi’s way. The ZAMINDARS have fallen in VOTE and in COURT, Yet they play their games with ED and EC’s support. No might is greater than the people’s call, Learn now @BJP4India or face a harsher fall in 2026, once and for all.”