NREGA Sangharsh Morcha threatens protests in Bengal if MGNREGA not resumed by December

Almost a week after the Supreme Court of India removed any road blocks for resumption of MGNREGA by dismissing a special leave petition by Union of India, several unions of agricultural workers have threatened to protest if the 100-day scheme is not resumed in West Bengal by December 2025.

“The work of NREGA has been stopped in Bengal because of the illegal actions of the Central Government in stopping funds and the lack of political will of the State Government to resume work. While both the Calcutta High Court and Supreme Court have passed orders for revival of the work from 1st August 2025, no such action seems to be forthcoming from either Government. We will not tolerate this defiance of law and court orders,” a statement by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, West Bengal said on Wednesday (November 5, 2025)

Prior to the Supreme Court order, the Calcutta High Court has directed the resumption of the scheme from August 1.

“Once work is started, we have also resolved to continue to work together to ensure proper implementation of MGNREGA, especially to ensure corruption free implementation, with active and democratic participation of the rural workers,” the statement by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha added.

The Trinamool Congress leadership including party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has claimed credit for the resumption of the scheme saying that the Union government had to bow to the pressure of people of West Bengal. This was despite the fact that the West Bengal government was only a party to the petition which was filed by Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity.

There were about 2.56 crore job cards in West Bengal when the scheme came to a halt about three years ago. The resumption of the 100-day scheme is an important political development ahead of Assembly elections scheduled next year.

According to sources in the State Panchayat and Rural Development Department, the work of building the necessary infrastructure to implement the apex court’s order and resumption of the scheme has started. The district administration has already been instructed to quickly complete the work of verifying the information of job card holders and updating e-KYC for resumption of the scheme.