Mamata Banerjee's Protest Threat Over Not Getting Central Funds

Malda/ Baharampur, West Bengal:

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she would sit on dharna from February 2 if the BJP-led government at the Centre does not clear the state’s dues.

Speaking at an official function in Malda, Mamata Banerjee urged party workers and those affected by the non-payment of funds to participate in the dharna, which would be staged at the BR Ambedkar statue in the Red Road area in Kolkata.

“I have given them an ultimatum till February 1 to clear all dues of the state, failing which I will stage a dharna from February 2. If the dues are not cleared, I know how to get it through a movement.”

“I urge all party leaders and workers to participate in the dharna… I want everyone’s support,” she said.

The chief minister claimed that the state’s dues amount to a mammoth Rs 7,000 crore for several central schemes, including MGNREGA and PM Gramin Awas Yojana (PMGAY).

Mamata Banerjee said that around 156 central teams have visited the state to check whether the schemes were being implemented properly.

State officers met their central government counterparts last week in connection with it, she said.

“Despite all these, the Centre is yet to pay us our dues,” she added.

Meanwhile, the BJP cited a CAG report to allege that “mother of all scams” to the tune of about Rs 2 lakh crore had taken place in the state.

In a press conference in New Delhi, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar accused the TMC government of treating the public money like her own.

“Her government has tried to loot public money everywhere. The CAG report is a slap on her government’s face and exposes it,” Majumdar alleged.

According to the BJP, the CAG report highlighted that over 2.4 lakh utilisation certificates, required to be submitted for completed projects within a fixed time, were not filed by the state government.

When questioned about the allegations, the chief minister said, “Members of the PAC (Public Accounts Committee) see each and every account. Ask them how much property they have accumulated by depriving the poor.” 

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