PBKMS issues contempt notice to Centre, Bengal govt over delayed resumption of MGNREGA

Describing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent remarks on the resumption of MGNREGA in the State as political theatrics, Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS), a union of agricultural workers, on Wednesday (December 10, 2025) issued a legal notice for contempt of court against both the State and Central Governments.

“Despite clear directions from the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court, the continued delay by both the State and Central Governments in restarting work under the scheme amounts to nothing less than “contempt of court”.

Today, the Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity has issued a legal notice for contempt of court against both the State and Central Governments,” a statement by PBKMS said.

Ms. Banerjee on Tuesday said that the conditions imposed by the Union government on the 100-day work scheme was humiliating for the State government and publicly tore up a note from the Union government in this regard.

MGNREGA has remained suspended in West Bengal since March 2022. Earlier this year the Calcutta High Court had directed both the State and Union governments to resume the scheme from August 1. After the Centre approached the Supreme Court, the apex court on September 27 directed that the scheme be resumed in the State. Despite appeals by agriculture unions the scheme has not resumed in the State.

The Chief Minister said that the Union government among its conditions has asked the State to  submit a quarterly labour budget.

“Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity and the rural working class people of the State are deeply concerned by the attitude of the Hon’ble Chief Minister with regard to restarting the scheme. Perhaps the Hon’ble Chief Minister has forgotten that due to corruption by State officials and elected representatives of Panchayats, the Central Government has, citing Section 27 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2007, found a pretext to keep the scheme suspended for the last four years,” the statement by the agricultural unions said.

Observing that as per the directions of the Court, the Central Government can impose conditions to ensure that the scheme is corruption-free, the samity said that, “In reality, all these excuses are being used to further delay the restarting of work”.

Questioning the claims of the Chief Minister to provide work under the Karmashree schemex, the PBKMS said that not a single member of the Samity has received work under this scheme to date, despite applying.

“ From the Samity alone, applications were submitted in 11 blocks across 5 districts, totalling 2,728 applications. In most cases, Panchayat offices and Block offices refused to accept the applications and instead turned the applicants away,” the note stated.

Opposing the excuses being advanced by the State Government and the apathy of the Central Government, agricultural workers organisations such as ‘NREGA Sangharsha Mancha, West Bengal’ and Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, have called for road blockades across different districts of the State, demanding the right to work on December 10, which is observed as Human Rights Day.