News Analysis India

Tag: MGNREGA funds

  • Abhishek Banerjee: Abhishek Banerjee slams Centre for withholding MGNREGA funds

    Trinamool National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday slammed the central government for blockade of MGNREGA funds for the last two years and “From the last two years, BJP blocked Bengal’s funds because they lost Bengal in 2021. When we went to fight for our rights in Delhi, our women MPs were dragged by their hair. The entire country saw these horrific visuals,” Banerjee alleged, speaking at a programme in his Diamond Harbour COnstituency.

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in 2018 that by 2022, everyone will have a pucca house or roof over their head. What happened to it?”

    After six days, Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee to hold another administrative programme in Maheshtala.”I give details of expenses incurred regarding the work done by me in the constituency,” Banerjee said while speaking about his accountability to people in his constituency.

    “I challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman- none of them would be able to give accountability to people,” Banerjee said.

    “In next five years, I will show you where West Bengal stands. We will take Bengal to greater heights where New Delhi leaders will come seeking for assistance.

    Speaking on Central Agencies or Commissions coming to West Bengal, “The Centrewho think by sending these agencies or ED raid would corner us – they don’t have any idea about us. We won’t cow down. You will have to release people’s money.”The MGNREGA workers have been deprived of their hard-earned wages for the last 2 years. This is not an amount allocated to a new scheme but the wages of the workers. It is an established law that the Centre is bound to release these funds within 15 days,” Abhsihek Banerjee said. “Just because they have been defeated in Bengal, the funds are being withheld. Mamata Banerjee has said that a Swanirbhar Bangla will be created,” he said.

    ” We are not living at the mercy of anyone and that is why the rightful dues worth Rs 4000 crore of 25 lakh workers will be sent to their bank accounts directly by March 1 as promised by the Mamata Banerjee government,” Banerjee added.

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  • BJP MLAs stage protest in Bengal Assembly on CAG report, allege “misappropriation” of MGNREGA funds

    Kolkata: The BJP MLAs on Tuesday tried to move an adjournment and demanded discussion on CAG report in the West Bengal assembly, which was turned downed by the Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay on Tuesday. Following the refusal, BJP MLAs staged a protest on the CAG report and alleged “misappropriation” of MGNREGA funds.

    “We were not even allowed to read our adjournment motion. We were not allowed to even discuss the CAG report in the assembly. The CAG report is not about advance adjustment as said by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but also finds mention of multiple fraud accounts which have been discovered,” Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari told mediapersons.

    Meanwhile, West Bengal unit of BJP has decided to meet Governor CV Ananda Bose on CAG report issue on March 9 and urge him to send recommendations to CAG for filing FIR against state government on the issue.Trinamool Supremo Mamata Banerjee has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently on the CAG report issue and non-submission of utilization letter, which was raised by BJP state President Sukanta Majumdar. The BJP on January 31 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 Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal.

    The Speaker turned down the demand stating that the issue has no justification to discuss in the House, following which BJP MLAs protested inside the House.

    Anti-government slogans were shouted by the BJP MLAs- Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Whip Manoj Tigga and Siligurj legislator Shankar Ghosh among others. They were carrying placards and protested outside the South gate of the assembly.“CAG reports has brought out details of many fake accounts, fund diversion issues, central government guidelines violation, misappropriation of funds. It shows corruption and theft of Trinamool Congress government,” Adhikari said.State Finance Minister (MoS) Chandrima Bhattacharya said, “There is no scope of discussion on CAG in the assembly. The report is from 2003 to 2021. The central government did not receive Utilization Certificates (UC) but have released funds. How were the funds released? How come the Centre announced that Bengal was the topmost performer in MGNREGA? And now the funds have been blocked.”

    After hearing that Mamata Banerjee will pay 21lakh workers under MGNREGA, BJP has lost their minds and made all these allegations,” Bhattacharya said.

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