Sun Jan 12 06:20:11 UTC 2025: ## West Bengal Workers Protest BJP Over MGNREGA Fund Suspension
**Kolkata, Jan 12, 2025** – Representatives from seven West Bengal workers’ unions staged a protest outside the BJP state office on Saturday, demanding the resumption of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The scheme’s funding has been suspended for over three years, impacting 7.5 million job card holders and their families.
The unions, including the Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS), blame the BJP’s political maneuvering for the suspension, citing alleged corruption as the reason for the freeze. Around 500 activists participated in the demonstration, meeting with BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya.
Bhattacharya reportedly assured the unions he would raise the issue during the upcoming budget session. However, the unions issued a press statement criticizing the BJP-led central government for its inaction, accusing them of using the fund suspension as a political tool against the Trinamool Congress state government.
The unions’ letter to the BJP state president highlighted that the MGNREGA Act allows for fund suspension only for a “reasonable period,” arguing that three years is excessive. They also criticized the lack of “appropriate remedial measures” as mandated by the Act.
While the unions plan to continue pressuring the BJP, they also intend to push the West Bengal government to implement its promised “Karmashree” project, which would provide 50 days of work for MGNREGA workers. The protest was organized by several unions including PBKMS, Shramajeevi Mahila Samity, and others.
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