ENA State 2025-06-19 16:04:42 <p><span style="font-size:14px"><strong>Kolkata, Jun 19 (KNN) </strong>After nearly three years of enforced suspension, the Calcutta High Court has directed the Union government to restart the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in West Bengal, effective August 1, 2025.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The division bench, led by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee, emphasised that no central project can be sent to cold storage forever, asserting the urgent need to revive the scheme that guarantees 100 days of rural employment annually.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The Centre had frozen MGNREGA funding in March 2022 under Section 27 of the Act, citing alleged widespread irregularities, identified in dozens of work sites during audits. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">However, the court noted that such allegations&mdash;even against multiple districts&mdash;do not justify an indefinite suspension that harms genuine workers .</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Accordingly, the court authorised the Centre to impose necessary safeguards&mdash;such as direct wage transfers, special oversight, and restriction zones&mdash;to prevent past misuses while allowing investigations and recoveries to continue in parallel. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">It stressed that recovered funds must be deposited into the Consolidated Fund of India, not remain in local nodal accounts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Advocate Purbayan Chakraborty, representing rural labour groups, welcomed the order, stating it restores dignity and livelihood to 25 million registered workers in Bengal. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Meanwhile, the Centre and state governments retain the authority to proceed with legal actions against those accused of irregularities, without delaying the schemes reinstatement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The bench has set the next hearing for shortly after August 15, to review progress on implementation and oversight measures.</span></p> <p><em><strong><span style="font-size:14px">(KNN Bureau)</span></strong></em></p> 42510 https://knnindia.co.in/news/newsdetails/state/calcutta-high-court-orders-resumption-of-mgnrega-in-west-bengal-from-august-1 2025-06-19 16:04:42 knnindia.co.in