**Executive Summary**
This document provides the answer to Unstarred Question No. 525 in Lok Sabha regarding MGNREGS in West Bengal, answered on March 2, 2026. Fund release was halted on March 9, 2022, due to non-compliance, but resumed following a Calcutta High Court order dated June 18, 2025, which resulted in the issuance of orders on December 6, 2025, for resumption subject to special conditions and mandatory compliance. The State Government must submit the Labour Budget proposal for FY 2025-26.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Fund Release Status:**
* Fund release to West Bengal under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS was stopped on March 9, 2022.
* The reason for stopping the fund release was the State's continued non-compliance with the directives of the Central Government, invoking Section 27 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005.
* Fund release resumed following a Calcutta High Court order dated June 18, 2025, after orders were issued on December 6, 2025.
* Resumption is subject to mandatory compliance with special conditions.
* **Financial Details:**
* The total pending liability to West Bengal (as of March 8, 2022) is ₹3082.52 crore.
* This includes ₹1457.22 crore for wage component, ₹1607.68 crore for material component, and ₹17.62 crore for the administrative component.
* The admissibility of this liability is subject to verification by the Central Government.
* **Required Action:**
* The State Government is requested to submit the Labour Budget proposal for the current Financial Year 2025-26 for consideration by the Empowered Committee, Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: State Government of West Bengal**
**Impact**
* The State government will benefit from the resumption of funding for the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, facilitating employment guarantee schemes in the state.
* The State government will also be impacted by the liabilities verification by the central government.
**Action Required**
* Submit the Labour Budget proposal for the current Financial Year 2025-26.
* Ensure mandatory compliance with the special conditions for the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.
**Stakeholder: 59 lakh MGNREGS workers in Bengal**
**Impact**
* The workers will be impacted by the resumption of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS activities in the state following the release of funds.
* The workers would have been impacted by delayed wages during the period of non-compliance.
**Action Required**
* There is no immediate action for the workers to take. They are to follow the rules and regulations of the Scheme.
Key Entities Referenced
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS): A scheme aimed at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
Ministry of Rural Development: The Indian government ministry responsible for implementing policies and programs aimed at rural development in India.
West Bengal: The Indian state to which MGNREGS funds are owed, and where the implementation of the scheme was halted.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005: The legal basis for the MGNREGS, invoked in stopping fund release due to non-compliance.
Calcutta High Court: The High Court whose order led to the resumption of MGNREGS implementation in West Bengal.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 525
ANSWERED ON 03/02/2026
MGNREGS IN WEST BENGAL
525. Smt. Bag Mitali:
MrPathan Yusuf:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENTbe pleased to state:
(a) the details and total amount of funds (in Rs.) owed to the State
of West Bengal underMahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);
(b) whether the Government has fixed a timeline to disburse all
pending dues to the State ofWest Bengal, if so, the details
thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(c) whether the Government intends to give any additional
compensation for its lapses to 59lakh MGNREGS workers in
Bengal, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons
therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a)to (c): The release of funds to the State of West Bengal under
the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) was stopped with effect from 09.03.2022
by invoking the provisions of Section 27 of the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, owing to
continued non-compliance with the directives of the Central
Government by the State.
However, in compliance with the order of the Hon’ble Calcutta
High Court dated 18.06.2025, this Department has issued orders
dated 06.12.2025 for the resumption of the implementation of the
Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the State of West Bengal, which is
subject to mandatory compliance with the special conditions, so as
Page 1 of 2to facilitate the effective and lawful implementation of the Scheme
in the State. Accordingly State Government has been requested to
submit the Labour Budget proposal for the current Financial Year
2025-26 for consideration of the Empowered Committee, Mahatma
Gandhi NREGS, which is still awaited.
As per NREGASoft, the total pending liability pertaining to the
State of West Bengal (as on 08.03.2022) stands at ₹3082.52 crore,
comprising ₹1457.22 crore under the wage component, ₹1607.68
crore under the material component, and ₹17.62 crore under the
administrative component. The admissibility of this liability is
subject to verification by the Central Government.
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