"It's happening because of political reasons": West Bengal Minister on MGNREGA issue

"West Bengal has received the prize for MGNREGA and the funding has been stopped now in the state. It has been established so far that it's happening because of political reasons...Those who only understand the language of power...then they should get the answer in that language only," Trinamool Congress (TMC) Shashi Panja said while speaking to ANI.

"We'll say this only that they have stopped the funding, remove them from power," she added.

The ruling TMC in Bengal has accused the BJP-led NDA government of withholding Rs 15,000 crore in dues to the state under the MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana.

However, the Central government had said that MGNREGA funds for West Bengal were not released due to non-compliance with central directives.

"Funds of State of West Bengal have been stopped from March 9, 2022, as per provision of Section 27 of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 due to non-compliance of directives of Central Government," the Union Rural Development Ministry said earlier in a statement.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) will resume their protest over alleged non-disbursement of dues of various central schemes including MGNREGA to West Bengal if the State government does not get an appropriate response from the Central government by the end of this month, senior party leader Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has said.

"Since we have waited for two years, we can wait for a few more days. If we do not get an appropriate response by October 31, Trinamool Congress will organise a larger movement from November 1. This time, Mamata Banerjee will lead the movement," Banerjee said on Friday.

On October 3 and 4, the Trinamool Congress staged a protest in Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding the release of funds by the Centre. The protest saw participation from around 4,000 MGNREGA cardholders who were brought to Delhi by the party on buses from West Bengal.

The party also staged a march to the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata to protest against the Centre over MGNREGA dues. The protest ended after West Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose assured a Trinamool Congress delegation that he would take up the issue.

"We were on the road for five days. On October 9, the Governor was forced to meet us. He assured us that within 24 hours, he would talk to the Central government over this deprivation of Bengal. The Governor went to Delhi and informed me in an email that he held discussions with the Centre on the matter," Banerjee said.

Abhishek Banerjee also asked the MGNREGA workers to give the party till June 30 next year by that time the party "will get the rightful due of the people from the Centre or our state government will arrange for the wages."

"Even though the law states that the Central government has to pay the wages of the workers, our Maa Maati Manush government will not let anyone starve," the statement said.

If the Mamata Banerjee government can arrange for Rs 37,000 crore for the 2.12 crore beneficiaries of Lakshmi Bhandar, the state government can arrange for the wages of our people. Trinamool Congress is fighting for the rights of the people and MGNREGA workers. All we need from the people are their blessings and support in this fight," the statement added. (ANI)