Will Go on Sit-In Protest from Feb 2 If Centre Does Not Settle West Bengal’s Dues: Mamata
GG News Bureau
Malda, 1st Feb. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that she will stage a dharna (sit-in protest) starting from February 2 if the BJP-led central government does not clear the state’s outstanding dues.
Banerjee made this statement during an official event in Malda, where she called on party workers and those affected by the non-payment of funds to join her in the protest, which will take place at the BR Ambedkar statue in Kolkata’s Red Road area.
She emphasized that she has given the central government until February 1 to settle all dues, and if they fail to do so, she will resort to a movement to ensure payment. Banerjee urged all party leaders and workers to support the dharna.
The chief minister claimed that the state is owed a staggering amount of Rs 7,000 crore for various central schemes, including MGNREGA and PM Gramin Awas Yojana (PMGAY).
She also mentioned that 156 central teams have visited the state to assess the implementation of these schemes, and state officers recently met with their central government counterparts regarding the issue. Despite these efforts, the central government has not yet paid the dues, according to Banerjee.
Meanwhile, the BJP referred to a CAG report alleging a massive scam of around Rs 2 lakh crore in the state.
State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar accused the TMC government of misusing public funds and treating them as their own. The BJP claimed that the CAG report revealed that the state government failed to submit over 2.4 lakh utilization certificates for completed projects within the required timeframe.
When questioned about these allegations, the chief minister responded by suggesting that members of the Public Accounts Committee should be asked about their own accumulation of wealth at the expense of the poor.
