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Follow UsNew Delhi, Oct 27 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the Centre's plea chall enging the Calcutta High Court order which directed that MGNREGA, the 100-day job guarantee scheme, be implemented prospectively in West Bengal from August 1, 2025.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to entertain the plea filed against the June 18 order of the high court, saying the high court's order did not warrant interference.
In its order, the high court said the Centre is fully empowered to impose special conditions, restrictions and regulations, which have not been imposed in other states, to ensure that no irregularity occurs while the scheme is being implemented in West Bengal.
Allowing the Centre to continue its enquiry into the allegations of irregularities in some districts of the state, the high court had directed that the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme be implemented prospectively with effect from August 1.
"At this juncture, the endeavour of the court is to the implementation of the scheme in the state of West Bengal which has been kept in abeyance for the past close to three years," the high court had said.
It had said the Centre would be entitled to impose any other special conditions and ensure that the scheme was effectively and properly implemented in the state without giving any room for any irregularity or illegality being committed.
The high court had noted it was not in dispute that certain irregularities were pointed out by the central team in the matter of disbursement of the measures under the centrally sponsored scheme.
"The scheme of the Act does not envisage a situation where the scheme will be put to cold storage for eternity. There are sufficient powers vested with the central government to enquire into the irregularities or illegalities in the manner of disbursement of the wages or in the manner of approval have to be granted etc," it had said. PTI ABA ABA RT RT