Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Kolkata, Oct 27 (IANS) Trinamool Congress on Monday hailed the Supreme Court’s decision on the rural jobs scheme in West Bengal, calling it a “historic victory” for the state.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court’s direction to restart the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scheme in the state.
The Central Government had approached the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Calcutta High Court. However, the top court rejected the appeal on Monday.
As a result of the decision, the Center will now have to pay the pending dues to the West Bengal government under the scheme, paving the way for the resumption of the employment project.
Using his social media, Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha leader Abhishek Banerjee said the Supreme Court order is a crushing defeat for the BJP.
Banerjee said, “Another crushing defeat for Bohiragoto anti-Bangla landlords. The Honorable Supreme Court today dismissed the Central Government’s plea challenging the Calcutta High Court order directing the restart of MNREGA in Bengal. This is a historic victory for the people of Bengal, who refused to bow down to Delhi’s arrogance and injustice,” Banerjee said.
The Trinamool leader accused the BJP-led central government of imposing an economic blockade on Bengal after failing to come to power in the state.
Banerjee said, “When they failed to defeat us politically, the BJP weaponized deprivation. They imposed an economic blockade on Bengal, took away the wages of the poor and punished people for standing with Maa, Mati, Manush. But Bengal did not bow down. We promised to fight for every legitimate rupee, every honest worker, every suppressed voice.”
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew further said, “Today’s decision is a democratic slap on the face of those who believed that Bengal could be intimidated, coerced or silenced. BJP’s arrogance has fulfilled its purpose. They want power without accountability. They take from Bengal, yet refuse to return its dues. But now, they have lost the people’s vote and in the Supreme Court.”
The 100-day action plan is stalled in West Bengal from December 2021. The Trinamool Congress continuously alleged that the Center withheld the funds due to political vendetta to deprive the people of Bengal. However, the central government and the BJP alleged widespread corruption in the 100-day action scheme in the state, claiming funds were misappropriated by creating fake job cards and depriving genuine beneficiaries. Citing corruption, the Center stopped the allocation of funds, turning the issue into a major political confrontation between the Trinamool and the BJP, especially during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier this year, a bench of the then Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court directed the Center to resume allocation of funds under MNREGA, with the condition that it may give directions to the state on measures to prevent corruption.
Following Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, the Trinamool Congress said in a statement: “The clear and unambiguous verdict of the Supreme Court marks the end of the unjust and politically motivated financial blockade. By withholding MNREGA funds for more than three years, the central government deprived Bengal’s rural poor of their livelihood, which challenges both morality and constitutional propriety.”
The party further said: “It was the politics of punishment inspired by the anti-Bengali zamindari mentality that tried to starve Bengal into submission. The Court has said what Bengal has always said – you can investigate, you can question, but you cannot strangle people’s livelihood in the name of inspection. The Court has completely upheld the Calcutta High Court judgment, making Bengal’s stand both legal and Has been confirmed. “Just now.”
Describing the result as a victory of justice and a defeat for the politics of discrimination, Trinamool said the Center should now comply without any delay and release the due dues of Bengal. Added to this, “Joy Bangla”.
–IANS
SH/PGH