The Crossbill News Desk
In a significant move that ends a prolonged freeze on rural employment in Bengal, the Union government has reinstated the '100 days of work' provision under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGS), but with a string of new restrictions.
The directive, issued after more than three years of suspension, mandates “immediate” implementation while enforcing what it calls “special conditions and regulatory measures”.
According to the order, no project with an estimated cost above Rs 20 lakh can be undertaken, and 100% e-KYC verification of all workers has been made compulsory. It also requires mandatory pre-estimation field visits for every work proposal, Business Standard reported.
The order states, “Department of Rural Development hereby resumes the prospective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA in the State of West Bengal with immediate effect. However, such resumption is subject to mandatory adherence to the special conditions and regulatory measures, as directed by the High Court, for ensuring transparency and integrity in the implementation.”
The Centre has also shifted to a quarterly approval system for West Bengal’s labour budget, deviating from the usual annual practice. The state has been asked to submit the labour budget for FY26 within 30 days of receiving the notice. The announcement arrives just months before the state heads into Assembly elections.
Earlier, on June 18, 2025, the Calcutta high court had instructed the Union government to restart wage employment under MGNREGS in the state from August 1, citing the statutory nature of the scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act.
Meanwhile, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has publicly rejected the conditions attached to the resumption.
“This is an order from the Centre. I am tearing it up. I think it is an insult, disrespectful,” she said at a public meeting in Cooch Behar, as reported by The Hindu.
Criticising the deadlines and procedural requirements, she added, “Day before yesterday, we received a letter stating that starting December 6, we must submit a quarterly labour budget. They have imposed a restrictive condition. But where is the time to show it? This is December, and the election is due early next year. Then they said training has to be provided.” Calling the order disrespectful, she declared, “We don’t want your mercy.”
MGNREGS’s 100-day work provision has long been a lifeline for rural households across West Bengal, particularly in the Jangalmahal districts of Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur. With the scheme stalled in recent years, these regions have seen large-scale migration of rural workers in search of employment.
The directive, issued after more than three years of suspension, mandates “immediate” implementation while enforcing what it calls “special conditions and regulatory measures”.
According to the order, no project with an estimated cost above Rs 20 lakh can be undertaken, and 100% e-KYC verification of all workers has been made compulsory. It also requires mandatory pre-estimation field visits for every work proposal, Business Standard reported.
The order states, “Department of Rural Development hereby resumes the prospective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA in the State of West Bengal with immediate effect. However, such resumption is subject to mandatory adherence to the special conditions and regulatory measures, as directed by the High Court, for ensuring transparency and integrity in the implementation.”
The Centre has also shifted to a quarterly approval system for West Bengal’s labour budget, deviating from the usual annual practice. The state has been asked to submit the labour budget for FY26 within 30 days of receiving the notice. The announcement arrives just months before the state heads into Assembly elections.
Earlier, on June 18, 2025, the Calcutta high court had instructed the Union government to restart wage employment under MGNREGS in the state from August 1, citing the statutory nature of the scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act.
Meanwhile, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has publicly rejected the conditions attached to the resumption.
“This is an order from the Centre. I am tearing it up. I think it is an insult, disrespectful,” she said at a public meeting in Cooch Behar, as reported by The Hindu.
Criticising the deadlines and procedural requirements, she added, “Day before yesterday, we received a letter stating that starting December 6, we must submit a quarterly labour budget. They have imposed a restrictive condition. But where is the time to show it? This is December, and the election is due early next year. Then they said training has to be provided.” Calling the order disrespectful, she declared, “We don’t want your mercy.”
MGNREGS’s 100-day work provision has long been a lifeline for rural households across West Bengal, particularly in the Jangalmahal districts of Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur. With the scheme stalled in recent years, these regions have seen large-scale migration of rural workers in search of employment.
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