BJP 'depriving' Bengal's people, alleges Abhishek Banerjee

Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool MP in Lok Sabha, has alleged that the BJP is "wilfully depriving the people" of West Bengal for having rejected the party in the state.

Banerjee's remark comes after Centre hold funds for the state under the Centre’s rural jobs scheme – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

Sharing a link to a response to the question raised in Lok Sabha by him, Banerjee mentioned in his tweet that the Centre owes the states Rs 10,162 crore under the scheme (as on December 14). He added that Bengal is owed Rs 5,433 crore, which is more than 50 per cent of the total dues owed to the states.

The Trinamool MP had enquired about the sum owed by the Centre to states, whether there has been a delay in the release of the sum owed to the states under the scheme, the details concerned if so, and the extent of demand for work under the scheme in the last three years.

The response from Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, minister of state in the ministry of rural development mentioned MGNREGS is a demand-driven wage employment scheme. The states furnish funds release proposals to the Centre, and the ministry releases funds periodically in two tranches. The process is continuous, and keeping several points in mind, the Centre offers funds to states based on the demand for work.

During 2021-22, 8.06 crore households demanded employment. The “material liabilities” under the scheme for the current financial year stand at Rs 5,450 crore. This includes Bengal’s component of Rs 2,221 crore for 2021-22, and Rs 464 crore for the year Rs 2022-23, the reply mentioned.

Also, the pending liabilities for the wage component under the scheme (as on December 14) stood at Rs 4,712 crore. The Bengal’s component is Rs 1,916 crore for 2021-22, and Rs 832 crore for the year 2022-23.

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has on several occasions, earlier, raised the issue of the dues.

The BJP in Bengal, on the other hand, has been talking of alleged irregularities in the execution of central schemes at the ground level in the state.