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After news reports emerged that the West Bengal government has stopped releasing funds for National Cadet Corps (NCC) camps after allegations and a letter from Major General Uday Shankar Sengupta, Additional Director General, West Bengal and Sikkim Directorate, NCC, against the state government, a political slugfest has erupted in the state on this issue.
West Bengal Finance Minister, Chandrima Bhattacharya has refuted the allegation that the West Bengal government has stopped releasing funds for NCC camps. According to her, in October Rs 20 lakh has been provided for the scheme. "Such allegations are baseless. The state government has released Rs 20 lakh on October 21. More funds will be released in the coming days on this count after the state Finance Department receives details of accounts of fund utilisation. The state government never refuses to release funds. Rather it is the Union government which delays or stops payments of central dues to the state government," she said on Wednesday. State governments are supposed to bear 25 per cent of the total expenses involved in training and other activities of the youth. However, the Opposition parties have launched a scathing attack on the state government once the news about the state government funds for conducting NCC camps became viral. "This is a bankrupt state government. The state government has stopped releasing funds under many schemes besides that for NCC camps. The Civil Defence staff in the state are not receiving their wages for six months. I doubt that after some point of time this state government would not be even able to pay the salaries to the state government employees," said BJP Legislator and Opposition leader, Suvendu Adhikari. The CPI(M) Central Committee member, Sujan Chakraborty said that it is a pity that when the state government is able to spend crores of rupees behind festivals and amusements, they do not have funds to spare for NCC camps meant for training of youth. --IANS src/khz/ ( 340 Words) 2022-10-26-20:34:02 (IANS)
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