Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC), on social media, highlighted a discrepancy between state and central records of MGNREGA dues, noting that while state data showed Rs 6,919 crore pending, the Centre’s MGNREGA soft portal listed only Rs 6,002 crore — a shortfall of Rs 917 crore.
The ruling party accused the BJP-led Centre of continuing its “vendetta” by withholding funds owed to the state. Terming it a new “economic conspiracy” against Bengal, the TMC alleged that despite the Supreme Court’s directive for the immediate resumption of MGNREGA in the state, the Centre remained indifferent.
“Despite this injustice, Bengal has already paid 69 lakh job card holders from its own treasury — because Delhi blocked what was rightfully theirs. This is not a clerical error — it’s a calculated conspiracy to cripple Bengal and punish its poor. We would like to remind the Bangla Birodhi BJP that, “You can delay justice, but you cannot defeat Bengal’s spirit,” TMC said. The Centre had stopped releasing funds under MGNREGA since January 2022. Bengal has lost nearly 114.64 crore person-days of employment over the last three years. About 58.87 lakh labourers who had already completed their work were not paid their wages. The total pending amount reached Rs 6,919 crore, claimed the ruling party in Bengal.
TMC alleged that the Centre, after failing to defeat it politically, tried to impose an “economic blockade” on Bengal. The Supreme Court recently dismissed the Central Government’s plea challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order to resume MGNREGA in Bengal. Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had called the order a “historic victory” for the people and a “crushing defeat” for the BJP.