Calcutta HC sets up team for verification of MGNREGA job cards in West Bengal

The Calcutta High Court directed the setting up of a four-member team for an expeditious verification of job cards of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on a district-wise basis in West Bengal.

The Calcutta High Court directed the setting up of a four-member team for an expeditious verification of job cards of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on a district-wise basis in West Bengal.

A division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya directed that on the next day of hearing on January 25 the State government and Centre will come up with the names of officials.

The order came during the hearing of a PIL by Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity filed in 2023 seeking release of wages to genuine workers under the scheme in the State.

Observing that one genuine person who has worked cannot be denied of wages, the bench said that the “matter has been lingering for quite some long period and court is of the firm view that a verification [of job cards] is required”.

The court ordered that a genuine verification process of job cards for MNREGA be done district-wise by a team of four officers - one to be nominated by the central government, one by the West Bengal government, one from the office of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and one from the office of the Accountant General, West Bengal.

While the West Bengal government claims that the Union government was not releasing funds to the State under MGNREGA for political reasons, the Centre has alleged misappropriation in the implementation of the scheme.

Funds to West Bengal under the MGNREGA have been stopped under Section 27 of the MGNREGA Act, 2005 which States that the Central government may “order stoppage of release of funds to the Scheme and institute appropriate remedial measures for its proper implementation within a reasonable period of time”.