Thousands of MGNREGA Workers Send Postcards to PM Seeking Restart of Work in West Bengal

New Delhi: Over 4,700 MGNREGA workers from across India have sent postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to restart the rural job guarantee scheme work in West Bengal, which has been suspended since December 2021.

Under the postcard campaign for solidarity with MGNREGA workers in West Bengal, led by the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, Re 1 each was also sent by the workers to the Prime Minister, offering to raise funds themselves if the Centre does not act, according to a statement issued by the Morcha.

The states from where workers of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) include Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

“This united effort comes after the Central Government halted NREGA funding for West Bengal in December 2021, invoking Section 27 of the Act, leading to a complete freeze on NREGA projects and leaving workers without their hard-earned wages for nearly three years,” said the Morcha.

The postcards, addressed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, carry a bold message: “If the Union Government cannot release the NREGA budget for West Bengal, we, the workers of India, will raise the money ourselves. We demand that NREGA work in West Bengal be resumed immediately.”

Among those who participated in the postcard campaign are Bihar Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan, Jan Vikas Shakti Sangathan, Pravasi Mazdoor Sangathan, Uttar Pradesh Sangatin Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, Jharkhand Khadya Suraksha Jan Adhikar Manch, Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, Gujarat Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan, Andhra Pradesh Ambedkarijame Punadi and the Telangana Dalit Bahujan Front.

The Morcha said that on August 5, 2024, a 15-member delegation met the Secretary, Rural Development, Shailesh Kumar, pressing for immediate release of funds and the restart of NREGA work in West Bengal.

“The delegation expressed deep concern that despite the passage of more than two and a half years since the fund-freeze, there has been no credible investigation into the alleged irregularities that led to the stoppage of funds, nor has anyone been held accountable for the ongoing disruption in the state,” the statement read.

In addition, worker delegations have also met with key political figures, including Members of Parliament such as V. Sivadasan, Amra Ram, Raju Bista, Adv. Bikash Bhattacharya, Manish Tamang, Shashikanth Senthil and Prakash Chik Baraikand, urging them to raise the issue in Parliament as a matter of urgency.

“The impact on workers has been devastating, with forced migration, widespread hunger and malnutrition, increased suicide rates, and deepening of poverty among already vulnerable rural households in West Bengal. Workers’ representatives have not yet succeeded in securing a meeting with the Union Minister of Rural Development despite their persistent efforts to reach out to the Minister. This lack of response from the top levels of government has further fuelled the frustration of workers who are caught in the crossfire of alleged administrative irregularities and government inaction,” the statement added.