Lok Sabha Question No. 282 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Resumption of MGNREGS in West Bengal
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Smt. Mala Roy, Smt. Rachna Banerjee, Shri Azad Kirti Jha, Prof. Sougata Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 282 ANSWERED ON 02/12/2025

## RESUMPTION OF MGNREGS IN WEST BENGAL

282. Smt. Mala Roy:

Smt. Rachna Banerjee:

Shri Azad KirtiJha:

Prof. Sougata Ray:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether  the  Union  Government  proposes  a  phased  release  of funds  or  a  lump-sum  release  for  West  Bengal  under  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the criteria for prioritising disbursement  (for  example: backlog wages first, fresh works next), the details thereof;
- (c)   the extent to which the State Government of West Bengal being involved  in  the  process  of  resumption  and  monitoring  of  the scheme;
- (d)   the total amount of wages and liabilities pending with the Union Government  of  States  as  on  31  October  2025  including  West Bengal  for  implementation  of  MGNREGS  since  March  2022, State and year-wise;
- (e)   whether the Supreme Court has upheld the June 18, 2025 order of  the  Calcutta  High  Court  directing  the  resumption  of  the scheme from August 1, 2025 and if so, the details thereof;
- (f)   the time by which the Union Government expects to release the outstanding funds to West Bengal for MGNREGS;
- (g)   the details of total fund due to Government of West Bengal for the said scheme as on 15.11.2025, year-wise; and
- (h)  the mechanism by which the funds will be disbursed to ensure immediate benefit to rural households in West Bengal?

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

(a)to(c)  &  (f)to(h):   For  the  resumption  of  implementation  of  the Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS  in  the  State  of  West  Bengal  and  in accordance with the order dated 18.06.2025 passed by the Hon'ble Calcutta  High  Court,  the  Department  of  Rural  Development  is currently  in  the  process  of  reworking  and  refining  the  necessary modalities and procedures to comply with the High Court's directions.

The proposal for upward revision of the Labour Budget for FY 2021-22  for  the  State  of  West  Bengal  was  not  approved  by  the Empowered  Committee,  National Rural Employment  Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), Department of Rural Development due to non-compliance with the directives issued  by this Department. Subsequently, the release of funds to the State of West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee  Scheme  (Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS)  was  stopped  with effect from 09.03.2022 by invoking the provisions of Section 27 of the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act, 2005, owing to continued non-compliance with the directives of the Central Government by the State.

As per NREGASoft, the total pending liability pertaining to the State of West Bengal (as on 08.03.2022) stands at ₹3082.52 crore, comprising  ₹1457.22  crore  under  the  wage  component,  ₹1607.68 crore  under  the  material  component,  and  ₹17.62  crore  under  the administrative  component.  The  admissibility  of  this  liability is subject to verification by the Central Government.

(d): State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for Wage,  Material  and  Admin  components  under  Mahatma  Gandhi NREGS  as on 26.11.2025 are given at Annexure.

(e): During the hearing dated 27.10.2025 in the matter related to Special Leave Petition No.25528/2025, filed by the Central Government, the Hon'ble Supreme Court was not convinced that the impugned  order  dated  18.06.2025  of  Hon'ble  Calcutta  High  Court requires any interference.

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Annexure referred to in reply to part (d) of LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 282 dated 02.12.2025.

| State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for Wage, Material and Admin   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for Wage, Material and Admin   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for Wage, Material and Admin   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for Wage, Material and Admin   | State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of pending liabilities for Wage, Material and Admin   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl No.                                                                                        | States/UTs                                                                                    | Wage                                                                                          | Material                                                                                      | Admin                                                                                         |
| 1                                                                                             | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                | 381.02                                                                                        | 530.45                                                                                        | 27.51                                                                                         |
| 2                                                                                             | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                             | 4.70                                                                                          | 142.01                                                                                        | 0.86                                                                                          |
| 3                                                                                             | Assam                                                                                         | 0.23                                                                                          | 398.38                                                                                        | 27.73                                                                                         |
| 4                                                                                             | Bihar                                                                                         | 7.04                                                                                          | 385.88                                                                                        | 14.67                                                                                         |
| 5                                                                                             | Chhattisgarh                                                                                  | 3.78                                                                                          | 101.36                                                                                        | 9.59                                                                                          |
| 6                                                                                             | Goa                                                                                           | 0.00                                                                                          | 0.43                                                                                          | 0.02                                                                                          |
| 7                                                                                             | Gujarat                                                                                       | 46.98                                                                                         | 18.96                                                                                         | 8.39                                                                                          |
| 8                                                                                             | Haryana                                                                                       | 0.38                                                                                          | 41.56                                                                                         | 0.28                                                                                          |
| 9                                                                                             | Himachal Pradesh                                                                              | 15.18                                                                                         | 65.66                                                                                         | 0.40                                                                                          |
| 10                                                                                            | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                               | 5.48                                                                                          | 188.50                                                                                        | 2.31                                                                                          |
| 11                                                                                            | Jharkhand                                                                                     | 5.83                                                                                          | 299.27                                                                                        | 4.69                                                                                          |
| 12                                                                                            | Karnataka                                                                                     | 8.94                                                                                          | 576.58                                                                                        | 36.97                                                                                         |
| 13                                                                                            | Kerala                                                                                        | 248.42                                                                                        | 177.80                                                                                        | 49.72                                                                                         |
| 14                                                                                            | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                | 64.14                                                                                         | 655.03                                                                                        | 44.06                                                                                         |
| 15                                                                                            | Maharashtra                                                                                   | 14.32                                                                                         | 668.80                                                                                        | 23.03                                                                                         |
| 16                                                                                            | Manipur                                                                                       | 4.59                                                                                          | 152.40                                                                                        | 4.12                                                                                          |
| 17                                                                                            | Meghalaya                                                                                     | 4.13                                                                                          | 51.75                                                                                         | 1.10                                                                                          |
| 18                                                                                            | Mizoram                                                                                       | 91.43                                                                                         | 0.25                                                                                          | 0.75                                                                                          |
| 19                                                                                            | Nagaland                                                                                      | 0.79                                                                                          | 79.64                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                          |
| 20                                                                                            | Odisha                                                                                        | 11.76                                                                                         | 218.06                                                                                        | 2.11                                                                                          |
| 21                                                                                            | Punjab                                                                                        | 0.12                                                                                          | 110.51                                                                                        | 1.57                                                                                          |
| 22                                                                                            | Rajasthan                                                                                     | 627.33                                                                                        | 822.31                                                                                        | 8.75                                                                                          |
| 23                                                                                            | Sikkim                                                                                        | 0.10                                                                                          | 2.40                                                                                          | 0.02                                                                                          |
| 24                                                                                            | Tamil Nadu                                                                                    | 111.54                                                                                        | 626.70                                                                                        | 35.67                                                                                         |
| 25                                                                                            | Telangana                                                                                     | 0.98                                                                                          | 495.12                                                                                        | 7.09                                                                                          |
| 26                                                                                            | Tripura                                                                                       | 2.93                                                                                          | 144.29                                                                                        | 27.04                                                                                         |
| 27                                                                                            | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                 | 5.98                                                                                          | 1007.58                                                                                       | 90.09                                                                                         |
| 28                                                                                            | Uttarakhand                                                                                   | 0.41                                                                                          | 44.99                                                                                         | 2.94                                                                                          |
| 29                                                                                            | West Bengal                                                                                   | **                                                                                            | **                                                                                            | **                                                                                            |
| 30                                                                                            | Andaman & Nicobar                                                                             | 0.00                                                                                          | 0.03                                                                                          | 0.00                                                                                          |
| 31                                                                                            | Lakshadweep                                                                                   | 0.00                                                                                          | 0.00                                                                                          | 0.00                                                                                          |
| 32                                                                                            | Puducherry                                                                                    | 16.99                                                                                         | 0.00                                                                                          | 0.25                                                                                          |
| 33                                                                                            | Ladakh                                                                                        | 0.46                                                                                          | 1.78                                                                                          | 0.10                                                                                          |
| 34                                                                                            | Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu                                                            | 1.29                                                                                          | 0.00                                                                                          | 0.00                                                                                          |
| Total                                                                                         | Total                                                                                         | 1687.27                                                                                       | *8008.48                                                                                      | 431.83                                                                                        |

* The pending liability of Material Component includes the pending liability of FY 2025-26 (as per NREGASoft) and for FY 2024-25 (actual). There is no pendency for the previous year under Wage & Admin Components.

** As per NREGASoft, the pending liability pertaining to the State of West Bengal (as on 08.03.2022) stands at ₹3082.52 crore, comprising ₹1457.22 crore under the wage component, ₹1607.68 crore under the material component, and ₹17.62 crore under the administrative component. The admissibility of this liability is subject to verification by the Central Government.

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