Kolkata, 02 November (H.S.) : Following the change of guard in West Bengal, the newly formed BJP government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has initiated the process of clearing the long-pending dues under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). However, the state administration is adopting a highly cautious approach, mandating a rigorous re-verification of all official documents and on-ground evidence to ensure that the pending wages are disbursed exclusively to legitimate beneficiaries.

The state Panchayat and Rural Development Department issued a comprehensive directive to all District Magistrates on October 29, instructing them to immediately commence the re-verification process. Senior officials stated that this stringent measure is specifically aimed at weeding out fake beneficiaries and finalizing an accurate tally of genuine claimants. The audit will encompass pending dues from the 2024-25 financial year and earlier, strictly adhering to the established guidelines of the Union Ministry of Rural Development.

According to sources at the state secretariat, Nabanna, mere inclusion of a name in the central database will no longer guarantee payment. The administration will meticulously examine the actual quantum of work executed on the ground, verify precise expense records, investigate any potential diversion of funds to other sectors, and ensure that all necessary administrative and technical approvals were appropriately secured before the work commenced.

To ensure efficiency without compromising accuracy, the department has implemented a strict three-tier scrutiny system involving the block, district, and state levels, bound by rigid deadlines. The block-level verification must be concluded by November 15, followed by the completion of district-level investigations and report submissions by November 30. The final state-level verification and clearance process is scheduled to be wrapped up by December 15.

The finalized accounts and verified lists will subsequently be submitted to the Union Rural Development Ministry by December 31. If the process proceeds without hurdles, genuine job card holders are expected to receive their pending wages by the beginning of next year. Previously, former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had repeatedly demanded the release of these funds from the Centre, which had frozen the allocations citing a lack of expenditure accounts. Banerjee had later claimed to have disbursed approximately Rs 2,700 crore from the state exchequer to clear the wages of around 30 lakh job card holders. Now, the new administration has actively taken up the mantle to resolve the central dues issue through a transparent and accountable framework.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh