Kolkata High Court Admits Demand By NREGS Workers For Rs.71.82 crores

Remarking that poor workers should not have been cheated of a paltry sum like Rs.6.50 per day by the State Government, the Kolkata High Court today admitted a petition by agricultural workers’ union, Paschim Banga Khet Majur Samity (PBKMS), demanding Rs.71.82 crores under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme(MGNREGS).

According to the petitioner, the Government of West Bengal did not pay statutory minimum wages to MGNREGS workers in 2009. Workers were paid Rs.81 per day when the declared legal agricultural minimum wage was Rs.87.50 in West Bengal. Section 6(2) of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, states that until wage rate for the purpose of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is specified by the Central Government, the minimum wage fixed by the State Government under Section 3 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 for agricultural labourers, shall be considered as the wage rate applicable for NREGS works. PBKMS therefore contends that each NREGS worker in West Bengal has been paid Rs.6.50 less than his/her legal entitlement from January to December 2009, and has claimed that the State Government must pay Rs. 71.82 crores for 1105.02 lakhs of person days of employment to NREGS workers.

The Kolkata High Court bench, consisting of Chief Justice Jainarayan Patel and Justice Dr. N K Chaudhuri admitted the petition and asked the State Government to file its reply within two weeks.

Swapan Ganguly
General Secretary