A Lok Sabha reply by the Union Rural Development Ministry has triggered a political row over the delay in MGNREGA funds to West Bengal, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell chief Amit Malviya accusing the Trinamool Congress government of holding up the process.
The document, tabled in Parliament on March 10, states that the Centre is awaiting the labour budget proposal from the West Bengal government for the financial year 2025–26 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
The reply was given by Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan in response to an unstarred question raised by TMC MP Pratima Mondal.
According to the ministry, the release of MGNREGA funds to West Bengal had earlier been stopped on March 9, 2022, citing continued non-compliance with directives issued by the Central government under provisions of the MGNREGA Act.
However, following an order of the Calcutta High Court on June 18, 2025, the Centre issued directions on December 6, 2025, to resume implementation of the scheme in the state, subject to certain conditions.
The ministry said the West Bengal government has been asked to submit the labour budget proposal for 2025–26, which must be examined by the Empowered Committee under MGNREGS. The proposal, it said, is still awaited despite reminders.
BJP claims state delaying payments
Reacting to the document, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya posted on social media that the Lok Sabha reply exposes the reason for delays in wage payments under the scheme.
“BIG EXPOSE! TMC caught red-handed by their OWN MP!” Malviya wrote on X, sharing the document.
He claimed the Centre had been waiting for the state government to submit the labour budget proposal and questioned who was responsible for delays in payments to rural workers in West Bengal.
BIG EXPOSE! TMC caught red-handed by their OWN MP!
The Lok Sabha document says it all — the Central Government has been WAITING for West Bengal’s State Government to submit the Labour Budget proposal for MGNREGA, but it hasn’t been done DESPITE REMINDERS!
So who is really… pic.twitter.com/nercArKSFn
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 11, 2026
The parliamentary reply also noted that the pending liability under MGNREGS for West Bengal stood at Rs 3,082.52 crore as of March 8, 2022, subject to verification by the Centre.
The ministry further stated that the scheme is demand-driven, and the release of funds to states and Union Territories is a continuous process.