TMC depriving poor of central schemes for sake of politics: Nirmala Sitharaman

Kolkata: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday alleged that the ruling TMC in Bengal was depriving the poor of benefits of central government schemes for the “sake of politics”.

She also claimed that issues like "poor law and order situation" and "corruption" are making the state stand out under the Trinamool Congress rule.

Accusing successive state governments in West Bengal of “economic mismanagement”, Sitharaman said the culture of syndicated crime and extortion has become synonymous with the state.

"It is corruption, poor law and order and extortion that are making the state stand out under the TMC rule," the minister said.

Speaking on the TMC's allegations of the Union government withholding MGNREGA dues of Bengal, she wondered how could the Centre release the funds "when there are 25 lakh fake job card holders".

"It is public money, not private property," she said.

Asserting that the BJP-led central government was working towards making “eastern India the growth engine of the country”, Sitharaman said many Union government schemes have to be “rigorously implemented” so that farmers and fishermen benefit from those.

“Why are you (TMC) denying something to the common people for the sake of politics? Why are you denying Ayushman Bharat to the poor?” she said, addressing a programme organised by ‘Khola Hawa’, a cultural group linked to the BJP.