Only 5% hike in MGNREGA wages for Bengal, other states get more; TMC dubs it ‘shameful & shocking’

Abhishek Banerjee, on Thursday, said that it’s been nearly two weeks since he had challenged the BJP to release a white paper to prove their claim that the Centre had released the funds for Bengal under MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana scheme. 

MP, 28 Mar 2024, Kolkata: Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Saket Gokhale, on Thursday, criticised the Centre for a “meagre increase” of five per cent in MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) wages in Bengal. 

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, on Thursday, said that it’s been nearly two weeks since he had challenged the BJP to release a white paper to prove their claim that the Centre had released the funds for Bengal under MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana scheme. 

“Shameful & shocking that in today’s wage revision announced for MGNREGA, Modi Govt has increased wages for workers in Bengal by ONLY 5%. Contrast this against hikes for other states e.g. Bihar (7.4%), Andhra Pradesh (10.9%), Gujarat (9.3%) Madhya Pradesh (9.9%) Chhattisgarh (9.9%), “ Gokhale wrote in his X handle. 

Referring to the matter as yet another brazen display of “BJP’s hate for Bengal - something that will get a resounding response from the people in the upcoming elections”, he stated: 

“After withholding over Rs 7000 crore of MGNREGA wage dues, the anti-Bengal BJP zamindars have again resorted to targeting the people of West Bengal by punishing them with a meagre 5 per cent wage hike while BJP states get as much as 10 per cent hike. “ 

The Centre notified a 3 to 10 per cent increase in the wage rates for MGNREGA workers for the financial year 2024-25 stating that the new wage rates will come into effect from April 1, 2024. Goa (10.56 per cent) and Karnataka (10.4 per cent) saw the highest percentage increase. 

The Bengal government, before the announcement of elections, paid MGNREGA wages to 59 lakh workers in Bengal who were denied wages by the Centre. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress’ national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, on Thursday, wrote on his X handle: 

“It’s been nearly TWO WEEKS, clocking close to 350 HOURS, the @BJP4India continues to shy away from accepting my CHALLENGE and RELEASING WHITE PAPER on AWAS PLUS and MGNREGA since their 2021 defeat in WB. BENGAL AWAITS, SEEKING NOTHING BUT ABSOLUTE ACCOUNTABILITY!” 

Banerjee had thrown an open challenge to the BJP-led Centre to engage in a debate following their “baseless claims” about Bengal’s fund disbursement but not a single saffron brigade leader has accepted the challenge as of yet. 

TMC leader Shashi Panja had recently said: “The BJP has not been present in any of the stages that we had prepared for them during Banerjee’s meetings. They have not presented any proof and we are still waiting. 

I would like to say that the BJP should attend our meetings and face the challenge”. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/tmc-dubs-wage-increase-of-5-for-mgnrega-workers-in-bengal-shameful-shocking-557690