Centre must release funds before sending teams, says Mamata after HC order

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the Centre must immediately release the arrears under MGNREGA scheme and other rural development projects before sending further inquiry teams to the state.

Her remarks came hours after the Calcutta High Court directed the Union government to implement the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in West Bengal prospectively from August 1, while also allowing central agencies to continue their inquiries into alleged irregularities.

"We welcome the High Court judgment. Let them (centre) restart the programme first. But this is not their money, it's public money. It's our right to get it," Banerjee said at a press conference at Nabanna.

"We did not even go to court; an individual organisation went. From the government's side, we will go for a review to demand the arrears. The Centre is sending teams to Bengal, but first, give us the due money. Not a single rupee has been released for the past few years. This is public money," she said.

The chief minister claimed the Centre had withheld funds for four years under MGNREGA, Awas Yojana, and rural road projects, despite the state providing clarifications.

"You sent about 155-156 teams to Bengal for clarification, and the government of West Bengal gave all responses. First, provide all the money for arrears. People worked, but they weren't paid," she said.

"For the past four years, you have not released a single rupee. When our MPs and MLAs protested in Delhi, cases were filed against them. The so-called half-minister didn't meet us despite giving us time. We paid workers from our funds. We've already started the 'Karmashree' scheme with state money," Banerjee said.

In 2023, the state government began disbursing dues to nearly 30 lakh workers, amounting to around Rs 2,700 crore, from its funds after payments under MGNREGA were halted in March 2022.

The Trinamool Congress has repeatedly accused the BJP-led central government of "economic discrimination" against Bengal.

The BJP had pointed out discrepancies in the utilisation of funds for the 100-day work scheme in certain districts of the state and accused the TMC government of not providing utilisation certificates.

On Tuesday, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court also issued an interim stay on all executive notifications issued between May 8 and June 13 related to the inclusion of 140 subsections under the OBC-A and OBC-B categories in the state.

Responding to that order, Banerjee said, "That is not the final order. They have given some suggestions and directions. We received the order last night. Our legal team is studying it." She alleged that the BJP and CPI(M) "never wanted the OBC reservation bill to be passed," and added, "This is meant for the poor." The bench, comprising Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha, directed that all consequential acts of the said executive orders would also remain until July 31.

The state government had included 49 subsections under OBC-A and 91 under OBC-B via executive notifications.

Earlier in May, the High Court had struck down OBC status granted to several classes since 2010, citing illegalities in reservation to government jobs. The state has challenged that ruling in the Supreme Court and the matter remains sub judice.