Calcutta High Court Requests Response on MGNREGS Wage Payments

• Calcutta High Court seeks response from Union and West Bengal governments over stalled payment of unemployment allowance to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) beneficiaries.
• The court cited differences between the two governments over the release of MGNREGS funds, leading to non-payment of wages.
• West Bengal Advocate-General Kishore Datta argues the State was unable to implement the scheme due to a March 9, 2022 order by the Centre freezing the funds due to the State.
• Datta argues the State government has taken several measures in compliance with the directives and the freeze should be lifted.
• Advocate Purbayan Chakraborty argues the row cannot be a reason for not providing work to thousands of rural workers.