After setback in SC, Rural Ministry tells PMO it may consider MGNREGS resumption in WB: Report
New Delhi: Days after a setback in the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has reportedly informed the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) that it may consider resuming the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in West Bengal under “special conditions”.
Implementation of the scheme in the state has remained suspended for over three years. The Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal government has been repeatedly urging the Centre to release funds and restart the rural employment programme.
According to a report by The Indian Express on Wednesday, the Ministry informed the PMO last week that it may “consider” resumption of MGNREGS in West Bengal under specific conditions. The PMO had sought a report from the Ministry on the issue.
On October 27, the Supreme Court dismissed the Centre’s Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging a June 18 order of the Calcutta High Court, which had directed the implementation of the MGNREGS in West Bengal prospectively from August 1, 2025. The High Court had left it to the Centre to impose “special conditions” for implementation of the scheme in the state.
The Rural Development Ministry decided to challenge the High Court order before the Supreme Court and filed the SLP on July 31, a day before the order for implementation was to come into effect. That petition was dismissed on October 27.
The Centre had earlier invoked Section 27 of the MGNREGA, 2005, to suspend fund releases to West Bengal on March 9, 2022, citing “non-compliance with directives of the Central Government.” Since then, no MGNREGS-related work has been undertaken in the state, added the report.
Before the scheme’s suspension, between 2014–15 and 2021–22, an estimated 51 lakh to 80 lakh families in West Bengal availed employment under the flagship scheme annually.
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Trump repeats claim he stopped potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan
New York/Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump has repeated his claim of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict and asserted that Islamabad's leadership credited him for saving millions of lives.
"We stopped a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and India. And the head of Pakistan, a highly respected General, he's a Field Marshal and also the Prime Minister of Pakistan, said President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more...,” Trump said Monday.
He made these remarks at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, flanked by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“You know, eight planes were shot down. That war was starting to rage, and he actually said the other day that President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more. So we solved all these wars. The only one I haven't solved yet is Russia, Ukraine,” he said.
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Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between the two neighbours.
New Delhi has consistently denied any third-party intervention.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
