Kolkata: The Union government’s decision to send two field inspection team to West Bengal to probe allegations of rampant corruption into the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in the state seems to have irked Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.
Addressing media persons on Thursday while returning to Kolkata from her Gangasagar Mela supervisory tour at Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district, she launched a scathing attack against the Union government on this count.
“With a sheer political motive, the Union government is frequently sending central inspection teams to West Bengal. How many more teams will then send? Even central teams appear if a firecracker bursts in the state. The central inspection team also comes if anyone reserves his or personal cash at home. This is a direct violation of the federal structure of democracy in the country,” Banerjee said.
She alleged that the instances of fake job cards under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme are much more in the BJP-ruled states rather than in West Bengal. “The number of such fake job cards are maximum in BJP- ruled Uttar Pradesh at 69 lakh. In the case of West Bengal, the number is just 20 lakh. The numbers are much higher in states like Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. Then why do they isolate West Bengal?” she questioned.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister once again lambasted the Union government on the pending central dues to the state on account of the MGNREGA scheme. “West Bengal has been the top performer among all Indian states in terms of implementation of MGNREGA scheme. Still, we are deprived of the dues. The poor men in the rural pockets are deprived of their payments as a result,” she added.
(IANS)
