The BJP on Monday slammed the Trinamool Congress’ protest here seeking the release of central funds under some schemes to West Bengal as a “circus” and “drama”, and accused the state government of “theft” of money and not taking corrective measures despite numerous reminders.
As TMC MPs, including Abhishek Banerjee, led the protest here, Union Rural Development Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh listed the Centre’s concerns with the state’s implementation of work under the MGNREGA and the PM Awas Yojana and accused the government led by Mamata Banerjee of not taking action against irregularities.
“Isn’t it true that the Rural Development Ministry has reminded the West Bengal government time and again of corruption and irregularities but it could never provide a satisfactory response? Isn’t it true that the state has always failed in acting against corrupt officials and ministers,” Singh asked.
The BJP also fielded its state leaders, including unit president Sukanta Majumdar, Union minister Subhas Sarkar and MP Locket Chatterjee, to target the TMC at a press conference and defend the Centre.
Majumdar made light of Abhishek Banerjee’s charge that the BJP has been trying to scuttle his party’s protests in the national capital and his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said Modi was not that idle to target a “petty leader” such as the TMC’s heir apparent.
The central government has stopped the payments under the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) because funds were earlier diverted to works not permissible by the Act, the BJP leader said, claiming that political considerations influenced its implementation in the state.
The central government wrote to the state for compliance numerous times but its action-taken report had no mention of action taken against violations on nearly 15 points as highlighted by the probe team, he alleged.
The Rural Development Ministry spent over Rs 2 lakh crore in over nine years under the Modi government while the expenditure was only Rs 58,000 crore under the UPA’s 10 years. Under the housing scheme, the Modi government gave Rs 30,000 crore to West Bengal against the UPA’s Rs 4,000 crore.