Kolkata: In his speech while addressing the Indian diaspora in Jakarta on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an indirect reference to the rampant corruption and the system of “cut-money” for securing benefits under government welfare schemes in West Bengal during the past 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule from 2011 to 2026.
The reference to West Bengal came as the PM elaborated on the benefits of direct benefit transfers (DBT) introduced by his government, in which financial benefits under various government welfare schemes are directly credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
PM Modi said the DBT is a foolproof system in which financial benefits are directly credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts, without any leakage or “cut-money”. He added that one gentleman there asked him about his vision for West Bengal, and that is his vision for West Bengal: Direct Benefit Transfer, no leakage, no cut-money.
However, his clear indication was about the large-scale allegations of corruption in granting financial benefits under different centrally-sponsored welfare projects during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, and also his commitment that the culture of “leakage” and “cut-money” in utilisation of funds under such schemes will no longer exist in the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled West Bengal government under the leadership of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
In fact, in his subsequent addresses at election rallies before the recently concluded West Bengal assembly polls, the PM had been extremely vocal about corruption in the implementation of centrally sponsored schemes in West Bengal. In his speeches, he had repeatedly accused the Trinamool Congress leaders and ministers of filling their personal coffers by taking advantage of such “leakages” and “cut-money”.
PM Modi also assured that such “leakages” and the “cut-money” systems would be eliminated in West Bengal if the BJP came to power in the state.
(IANS)
