KOLKATA: After West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Centre of not clearing the state’s dues and constantly sending central teams, Union minister Giriraj Singh suggested chief minister Mamata Banerjee should meet the Prime Minister to place her demand. The Union ministry of rural development department, in repsonse, has decided to send teams again to inquire into complaints related to the execution of rural employment and housing schemes for which the release of funds was stopped by the central government in the past one year citing irregularities.
Sources in the state panchayat department said the teams would visit districts in north and south Bengal. “The teams will directly send reports to the ministry of rural development department by December,” said an official of the state government.
Hitting out at the BJP on Wednesday, on her way to north Bengal, Mamata said the Centre already sent 107 teams in the recent past to inquire the execution of the schemes funded by the Union government. The teams will visit districts like North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Burdwan, Cooch Behar, Purulia, Howrah and Hooghly, Purulia, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri.
“We are not sure what kind of complaints the ministry received about the schemes, when they could not be implemented over the past one year because of non-release of funds. This visit by the central team has surprised us,” said a government official. Insiders in the Tribamool Congress said the decision of sending the central teams indicated that the BJP is under tremendous pressure in Bengal.
‘Already sent 107 teams’
Hitting out at the BJP on Wednesday, on her way to north Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Centre already sent 107 teams in the recent past to inquire the execution of the schemes funded by the Union government.