‘Bengal singled out in MGNREGS’ fund freeze, Rs 3,038 crore pending: TMC

Kolkata: In another sharp escalation of its attack on the Centre, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday claimed that the BJP-led government owes Bengal a staggering Rs 3,038 crore under the MGNREGS scheme, the highest pending amount among all states and Union Territories.

Calling it a “calculated assault on federalism,” the ruling party in Bengal accused the Centre of deliberately withholding funds meant for the rural poor, turning financial deprivation into a political weapon.

Bengal is the lone state that has been facing a “complete freeze” while many other states continue to receive regular disbursement. “As of July 28, 2025, Centre owes Bengal `3,038 crore under the MGNREGA scheme, the HIGHEST PENDING AMOUNT AMONG ALL STATES & UTs. While other states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh continue to receive regular disbursements, Bengal alone is facing a complete freeze, exposing this as a case of deliberate and targeted discrimination,” Trinamool Congress wrote on social media.

According to Central government data, there is no pending liability for previous years for the wage component in the case of States or Union Territories, except for Bengal.

Pending liability in case of Bengal includes wage, material and admin component.

Release of funds to Bengal has been stopped since March 9, 2022 as per provision of Section 27 of MGNREGA 2005, due to non-compliance with directives of the Central government, the Centre said in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

“Despite fulfilling its responsibilities under the Act, Bengal is being punished for consistently rejecting @BJP4India’s divisive and toxic politics. In a recent Parliament response, it was revealed that Bengal reported a meagre number of fake job card deletions, completely contradicting the claims of large-scale irregularities. So what irregularities is the centre talking about?” Trinamool Congress asked on social media.

It further stated: “This is not just financial denial, it is a calculated assault on federalism and a clear reflection of the Centre’s Bangla Birodhi agenda. Bengal will not be silenced, will not be bullied, and will not back down.”