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**Headline: West Bengal: MGNREGA Resumption Stalled Despite Court Order, Workers’ Union Alleges Defiance**

**Kolkata, August 2, 2025:** Despite a Calcutta High Court order mandating the resumption of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in West Bengal from August 1st, work has not restarted, according to the Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS), an agricultural workers’ union.

The High Court’s June 18th directive followed a petition filed by PBKMS. The Union alleges that both the Central and State governments are defying the court order. They claim that block offices are refusing to accept job applications, hindering the right to work for the state’s poorest citizens.

PBKMS reported that between July 28th and 31st, over 2,000 job applications were submitted across Purulia, South 24 Parganas, and North 24 Parganas districts, with over 1,300 illegally rejected. The NREGA Commissioner reportedly stated that work won’t resume without fresh instructions from the Central Government, seemingly undermining the High Court’s authority.

The union accuses the Central Government of blocking the release of funds, depriving workers of their legal right to employment. They allege that some local officials have responded with abuse and threats when workers attempted to submit applications.

PBKMS demands immediate implementation of MGNREGA work as per the High Court order, calling the non-compliance “illegal, unjust, and unacceptable.”

MGNREGA work in West Bengal has been halted since December 2021, leading to rural distress and migration. While the Trinamool Congress protested in Delhi before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls demanding payment of wages and resumption of work, their response to the High Court order has been subdued. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced the Karmashree Prakalpa scheme to provide 50 days of wage employment, but its implementation at the grassroots level is questioned.

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