Bengal govt used mid-day meal funds to compensate Odisha accident victims: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari

Adhikari said CM Mamata Banerjee has earlier offered compensation using mid-day meal funds in the Bogtui carnage incident.

The West Bengal government has used the mid-day meal funds for “paying compensation” to the Coromandel Express accident victims, BJP Bengal’s leader Suvendu Adhikari has alleged. The Trinamool has termed the objection to financial assistance a “new low” for the BJP.

In a letter written to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Adhikari stated that he had brought to notice on earlier occasions, how the Bengal government “has been missing and unethically diverting the mid-day meal or PM Poshan funds”.

“The misappropriation of the funds granted by the central government in this regard has been systematically and unethically diverted by the state government on a regular basis to serve their own interests, which seems more political rather administrative in nature,” Adhikari stated.

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He mentioned that the chief minister, earlier, had offered compensation using mid-day meal funds in the Bogtui carnage incident, and how the funds are being “diverted” for other purposes.

Adhikari stated that ex-gratia announced by Bengal government, in addition to what was offered by the railways, after Coromandel Express tragedy, was offered using the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board’s funds.

“It has now come to light that the state government has also used the mid day meal or PM Poshan Funds for paying compensation to the Coromandel Express accident victims,” the BJP leader claimed, sharing photographs of cheques offered to one victim.

Adhikari urged that Bengal government be instructed to “not to engage in any activity which would ultimately deprive the school children from proper nutrition and nourishment”.

“They are objecting to the financial assistance provided to the victims of the Balasore train tragedy yet again?! This is a new low even for BJP,” Kunal Ghosh, Trinamool’s spokesperson stated. Ghosh, on Twitter, added that the government led by the chief minister did “all that was necessary to provide relief to victims and their families.

“We know that undermining people’s elected government is very high on their priority list. But that doesn’t change the fact that the state govt has a say in how emergency funds are arranged for victims!” Ghosh added.