KOLKATA: Concluding her two-day dharna in the heart of Kolkata in a protest against Centre withholding the state’s pending funds, West Bengal chief minister announced that her government would pay 21 lakh laborers, who worked under MGNREGA schemes and have been denied wages for the past three years, by February 21.
Mamata’s announcement appears to be aimed at the rural vote bank ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
“The central governments is thinking that they will starve Bengal to death. I will not allow them to succeed in that. We do not want from the BJP nor do we want their alms. The state government will pay and the wages for 21 lakh labourers, who worked under the Centre’s scheme, will be credited to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts by February 21,” announced Mamata from the dais of his sit-in-demonstration in Esplanade.
The Bengal chief minister also raised the issue of the Centre’s decision to freeze funds for the houses in rural Bengal despite the state government sent the list of 11 lakh beneficiaries who deserve houses under the Union government’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojona (PMAY).
“I will not say anything on the issue of 11 lakh houses for the poor in the state. I will talk about it in near future. Keep faith on me. Bengal’s poor will not be deprived. Have faith on me. I will slowly pay your dues which are still stuck,” she said.
Funds to MGNREGA have come to a complete halt in the state since December 2021, resulting in large-scale distress in the State. In December 2023, Mamata along with a group of party MPs met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and sought that the pending funds be released.
The announcement to pay wages for 21 lakh workers and assurance on 11 lakh homes for the poor by Mamata are said to be politically significant.
“It is a fact that the BJP made deep inroads in some of the state’s rural pockets in north Bengal and western part of the state. The chief minister’s announcement and assurance will help us to woo the rural electorates who voted for the saffron camp in the previous general elections,” said a senior TMC leader.
Mamata on Saturday, however, took a dig at the BJP on the issue of using central agencies. “They have used the central agency against the Jharkhand chief minister. The agency is also after Delhi chief minister. The BJP is using the central agencies to win elections,” she said.
Taking a jibe at Mamata’s announcement, Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari describe the chief minister’s move as a “cry” out of fear.
“The chief minister’s announcement is her cry out of fear. The Enforcement Directorate has already taken action against. Now she fears when it will knock on her door,” said Adhikari.
On the sidelines of a program on Saturday, governor C. V. Ananda Bose said he had held positive discussion with the Centre about the state’s dues.
