Reviving MGNREGA in West Bengal , Pg7

Key Highlights:

• The Calcutta High Court ordered the resumption of MGNREGA in West Bengal from August 1, 2025, following a petition by Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS).
• The Union government has appealed this order to the Supreme Court, where the matter is pending listing.
• The Centre halted MGNREGA funds to West Bengal in March 2022, citing irregularities based on findings from only 31 worksites.
• Over 43 lakh of West Bengal’s 2.56 crore registered workers are not compliant with the Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) as of June 21, 2025.

Detailed Insights:

• The suspension of MGNREGA funds in 2022 resulted in West Bengal’s rural workforce losing between ₹4,000 to 6,000 crore in potential wages in the first year alone.
• Restarting MGNREGA requires identifying and planning work at the village level, complicated by national-level changes like the Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS).
• In 2022–23, over 83 lakh workers were removed from West Bengal’s rolls, representing nearly 15% of national deletions, necessitating their identification and reinstatement.
• The National Mobile Monitoring System, a mandatory attendance app, poses challenges in West Bengal due to a lack of recent worksite supervision, requiring a temporary exemption.
• Reviving MGNREGA requires systemic reforms, including stronger grievance redressal, timely payments, open-access dashboards, and regular social audits.

Key Concepts Involved:

• MGNREGA: A scheme guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment per year to rural households who demand it.
• Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS): A payment system where workers are paid only if their Aadhaar is correctly linked and authenticated.
• National Mobile Monitoring System: A mandatory attendance app requiring real-time, geo-tagged photos for worksite attendance.