 "West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra")
The pending MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) funds due from the Union government to West Bengal stood at Rs 6,907 crore as of September 29, 2023, Amit Mitra, principal chief advisor to West Bengal Chief Minister, said on Saturday.
During a press conference, Mitra criticised the government of India for not releasing the rightful dues to states, thus affecting rural employment opportunities for 25.4 million job card holders in West Bengal. He remarked, "It is a typical case of anti-federalist behavior and in violation of the law."
Mitra further elaborated that the ministry of rural development had ceased the fund release on December 24, 2021. However, they did not cite Section 27 as a reason initially. It was only three months later, on March 9, 2022, that they invoked Section 27. In the interim, Rs 1,500 crore had become due to the state.
A statement from the ministry of rural development, dated October 5, clarified that the funds for West Bengal were halted from March 9, 2022, in accordance with Section 27 of MGNREGA. This was due to the state's non-compliance with the directives of the central government. For context, Section 27 of MGNREGA empowers the Centre to withhold the scheme's funds.
Mitra further noted that the government should be liable to pay interest on the withheld amount. He estimated this interest could be around Rs 200 crore for West Bengal.
When queried about the possibility of West Bengal seeking legal action, Mitra responded that several NGOs had already approached the court. He said, "We're awaiting the court's response."
Highlighting their efforts for dialogue, Mitra mentioned that Trinamool MPs and state ministers had recently visited Delhi. They waited three hours at Krishi Bhawan, attempting to engage with the central government. A similar attempt was made in April 2023 with the then minister. Mitra concluded, "So we are making utmost effort with the central government first. If that fails, recourse to courts is always there. But NGOs have already gone to courts in public interest. We have to see what outcome emerges."
