Calcutta HC directs Centre to file affidavit on release of MGNREGA funds for West Bengal

Kolkata, Nov 7 (IANS) A Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the Centre to file an affidavit detailing how the latter had planned to release the pending funds to the West Bengal government for the 100-day job scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The Division Bench of Calcutta High Court’s Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Smita Das De directed the Union government to file the affidavit in the matter within the next four weeks.

As per the direction of the Division Bench, the petitioners in the case accusing the Union Government of deliberately holding back funds under the MGNREGA scheme for West Bengal, will have to make their submissions on the affidavit filed by the Centre two weeks after the date of filing of the affidavit. Thereafter, the next hearing in the matter would be conducted.

To recall, the Union Government had stopped making payments under the MGNREGA scheme for the last three years, following which a political slugfest between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP broke out.

The Union government said that the payment of funds was stopped amid massive corruption in the implementation of the scheme. In June this year, the Calcutta High Court directed the Union government to make payments for the pending MGNREGA funds for West Bengal, acting on a petition filed by Paschim Banga Khet Mojur Samiti, an association of agriculture workers in the state.

The Calcutta High Court then observed that if necessary, the Union Government could set conditions for payment of MGNREGA funds for West Bengal, but could not stop payment on this count.

In July this year, the Union Government challenged the order of the Calcutta High Court in the Supreme Court. Last month, the apex court’s Division Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta upheld the Calcutta High Court order and refused to intervene in the matter.

--IANS

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