KOLKATA: Three days after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee met Narendra Modi in Delhi, the Bengal government has started preparing for the next meeting between the officials of central and state governments over the release of the state’s dues under rural development schemes. This was after the Prime Minister proposed to sort out the issue by engaging the officials of the concerned departments.
The state government has decided to include the officials of the panchayat department who will be asked to submit a report featuring actions taken against those responsible for the misappropriation of the Centre’s fund, an allegation levelled by the central teams after their Bengal visit on several occasions.
The panchayat department officials have been asked to focus on the compilation of all documents to counter the Centre’s allegation based on which the release of funds has been stopped.
After the meeting with Modi, where a TMC delegation was present on Wednesday, Mamata had said the Prime Minister had assured her a joint meeting of government officials would be held to look into her demand on releasing central funds.
“Prime Minister heard our demands and he assured us that he will arrange a joint meeting of central government and state government officials to find a solution,” she had said after the meeting.
“We have been told that such a meeting will be held shortly. Though the date is yet to be finalised, we are keeping ourselves ready to reply the Centre’s queries related to the reasons for stopping the fund from the central government,” said a senior official in Nabanna, the state secretariat.