**Executive Summary**
This document presents the response by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development to questions raised in the Lok Sabha regarding the resumption of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in West Bengal. The response addresses the release of funds, prioritization criteria, state government involvement, pending liabilities, and compliance with court orders, with a key date being 02/12/2025. The Department of Rural Development is reworking procedures to comply with the Calcutta High Court's directives, and the release of funds remains contingent on this compliance.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Resumption of MGNREGS in West Bengal:**
* The Department of Rural Development is reworking modalities and procedures to comply with the Calcutta High Court's order dated 18.06.2025 for the resumption of MGNREGS in West Bengal.
* **Fund Release and Compliance:**
* The proposal for upward revision of the Labour Budget for FY 2021-22 for West Bengal was not approved due to non-compliance with directives.
* Release of funds to West Bengal under MGNREGS was stopped from 09.03.2022, invoking Section 27 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, due to continued non-compliance.
* **Pending Liabilities:**
* As of 08.03.2022, the total pending liability pertaining to West Bengal is ₹3082.52 crore, including ₹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.
* Annexure provides State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for Wage, Material, and Admin components under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 26.11.2025.
* **Supreme Court Ruling:**
* The Supreme Court was not convinced that the impugned order dated 18.06.2025 of Hon'ble Calcutta High Court requires any interference, during a hearing dated 27.10.2025 related to Special Leave Petition No.25528/2025.
**Impact Analysis**
**Government of West Bengal**
* **Impact:** Delay in receiving funds for MGNREGS due to non-compliance with directives. Potential disruption of rural employment programs and hardship for rural households.
* **Action Required:** Address non-compliance issues identified by the Department of Rural Development. Facilitate reworking and refining of the necessary modalities and procedures to comply with the High Court's directions.
**Rural Households in West Bengal**
* **Impact:** Potential delays in wage payments and reduced employment opportunities under MGNREGS.
* **Action Required:** Awaiting resumption of MGNREGS and disbursement of pending wages upon compliance by the State Government and verification by the Central Government.
**Department of Rural Development**
* **Impact:** Increased workload to rework and refine modalities and procedures for MGNREGS resumption in West Bengal.
* **Action Required:** Ensure compliance with the Calcutta High Court's directives. Oversee verification of pending liabilities and release of funds.
Key Entities Referenced
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS): A flagship employment guarantee scheme in India, focusing on providing wage employment in rural areas.
Ministry of Rural Development: The central ministry responsible for the implementation and oversight of rural development programs, including MGNREGS.
West Bengal: The state in India where the resumption of MGNREGS is being discussed and where pending liabilities exist.
Calcutta High Court: The High Court whose order directs the resumption of the MGNREGS scheme in West Bengal and whose directions need to be complied with.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005: The legal framework under which the MGNREGS operates, particularly Section 27 regarding non-compliance.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 282
ANSWERED ON 02/12/2025
RESUMPTION OF MGNREGS IN WEST BENGAL
282. Smt. Mala Roy:
Smt. Rachna Banerjee:
Shri Azad KirtiJha:
Prof. Sougata Ray:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Union Government proposes a phased release of
funds or a lump-sum release for West Bengal under Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MGNREGS), if so, the details thereof;
(b) the criteria for prioritising disbursement (for example:
backlog wages first, fresh works next), the details thereof;
(c) the extent to which the State Government of West Bengal being
involved in the process of resumption and monitoring of the
scheme;
(d) the total amount of wages and liabilities pending with the Union
Government of States as on 31 October 2025 including West
Bengal for implementation of MGNREGS since March 2022,
State and year-wise;
(e) whether the Supreme Court has upheld the June 18, 2025 order
of the Calcutta High Court directing the resumption of the
scheme from August 1, 2025 and if so, the details thereof;
(f) the time by which the Union Government expects to release the
outstanding funds to West Bengal for MGNREGS;
(g) the details of total fund due to Government of West Bengal for
the said scheme as on 15.11.2025, year-wise; and
(h) the mechanism by which the funds will be disbursed to ensure
immediate benefit to rural households in West Bengal?
Page 1 of 3ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a)to(c) & (f)to(h): For the resumption of implementation of the
Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the State of West Bengal and in
accordance with the order dated 18.06.2025 passed by the Hon'ble
Calcutta High Court, the Department of Rural Development is
currently in the process of reworking and refining the necessary
modalities and procedures to comply with the High Court’s
directions.
The proposal for upward revision of the Labour Budget for FY
2021-22 for the State of West Bengal was not approved by the
Empowered Committee, National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), Department of Rural
Development due to non-compliance with the directives issued by
this Department. Subsequently, 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.
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.
(d): State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for
Wage, Material and Admin components under Mahatma Gandhi
NREGS as on 26.11.2025 are given at Annexure.
(e): During the hearing dated 27.10.2025 in the matter related to
Special Leave Petition No.25528/2025, filed by the Central
Government, the Hon’ble Supreme Court was not convinced that the
impugned order dated 18.06.2025 of Hon’ble Calcutta High Court
requires any interference.
*****
Page 2 of 3Annexure
Annexure referred to in reply to part (d) of LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 282
dated 02.12.2025.
State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for Wage, Material and Admin
component under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 26.11.2025 (Rs. in crores)
Sl No. States/UTs Wage Material Admin
1 Andhra Pradesh 381.02 530.45 27.51
2 Arunachal Pradesh 4.70 142.01 0.86
3 Assam 0.23 398.38 27.73
4 Bihar 7.04 385.88 14.67
5 Chhattisgarh 3.78 101.36 9.59
6 Goa 0.00 0.43 0.02
7 Gujarat 46.98 18.96 8.39
8 Haryana 0.38 41.56 0.28
9 Himachal Pradesh 15.18 65.66 0.40
10 Jammu & Kashmir 5.48 188.50 2.31
11 Jharkhand 5.83 299.27 4.69
12 Karnataka 8.94 576.58 36.97
13 Kerala 248.42 177.80 49.72
14 Madhya Pradesh 64.14 655.03 44.06
15 Maharashtra 14.32 668.80 23.03
16 Manipur 4.59 152.40 4.12
17 Meghalaya 4.13 51.75 1.10
18 Mizoram 91.43 0.25 0.75
19 Nagaland 0.79 79.64 0.00
20 Odisha 11.76 218.06 2.11
21 Punjab 0.12 110.51 1.57
22 Rajasthan 627.33 822.31 8.75
23 Sikkim 0.10 2.40 0.02
24 Tamil Nadu 111.54 626.70 35.67
25 Telangana 0.98 495.12 7.09
26 Tripura 2.93 144.29 27.04
27 Uttar Pradesh 5.98 1007.58 90.09
28 Uttarakhand 0.41 44.99 2.94
29
West Bengal ** ** **
30 Andaman & Nicobar 0.00 0.03 0.00
31 Lakshadweep 0.00 0.00 0.00
32 Puducherry 16.99 0.00 0.25
33 Ladakh 0.46 1.78 0.10
34 Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu 1.29 0.00 0.00
Total 1687.27 *8008.48 431.83
* The pending liability of Material Component includes the pending liability of FY
2025-26 (as per NREGASoft) and for FY 2024-25 (actual). There is no pendency for
the previous year under Wage & Admin Components.
** As per NREGASoft, the 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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