JOIN USMamata to stage two-day dharna over non-payment of funds by Centre
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be holding a two-day dharna in Kolkata to protest against the fund-freeze by the Centre, and the rising prices.
The two-day protest is scheduled for 29-30 March. The chief minister has alleged that Bengal is the only state which has been deprived of the funds for the 100-day rural job scheme. A similar situation prevails for housing and rural road schemes.
“I met the Prime Minister around six months ago to discuss the matters pertaining to 100 days of work, roads, Awas Yojana, and asked for the disbursal of Rs 1.15 lakh crore pending under various heads,” she said, adding that the matter was also taken up with Union home minister Amit Shah, and the issue has also been taken up with the Centre through several letters.
Banerjee has termed the freeze, a ‘deliberate attempt’. The central agencies, she said, are acting as an extension of the ruling party. The Trinamool leader has said that around Rs 7,000 crore is pending under the 100-day rural job scheme.
“I will hold a two-day protest near the Ambedkar Statue on March 29-30 as the chief minister of Bengal to protest against this dictatorial attempt to malign the Bengal government and deprive our state of its rightful due,” she said. The dharna concludes on day-II night, and the programme may thereafter be repeated in the blocks, and districts.
Shashi Panja, senior Trinamool leader and a minister in the state government raised a political allegation: “We just want you to understand the chronology. First, Bengal BJP leaders repeatedly ask the Centre to block Bengal’s funds and then they try to instigate the rural populace during the Anchale Ek Din activities to speak against Trinamool Congress. The reason for blocking funds – despite multiple action-taken reports by the state government – is absolutely clear,” she said.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar took to Twitter to flag that the 30 March also coincides with Ram Navami. “The Sagardighi debacle has opened the pandora’s box again…,” he stated, referring to the recent byelection where the Trinamool lost the seat to a Left-backed Congress candidate.