New Delhi | Trinamool Congress members on Monday claimed in the Lok Sabha that the Centre had imposed an "economic blockade" against West Bengal by "blocking" funds to key schemes, drawing a sharp retort from Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Trinamool leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said an amount of around Rs 18,000 crore was due to the state towards central schemes such as MGNREGA, PM Awas Yojana, and National Health Mission.
Pradhan hit back at the Trinamool leaders and said that the West Bengal government had been "misappropriating" central funds which had prompted the Centre to order a CBI inquiry in the matter.
"I want to mention on the floor of the House, in the PM Poshan Yojana - Mid Day Meal, they have misappropriated Rs 4,000 crore. The Government of India has ordered a CBI inquiry, everything will come out. They loot poor people's money... half of their ministers are in jail. They are scared their leadership will go to jail," Pradhan said Earlier, Bandyopadhyay said the Centre had blocked funds meant for MGNREGA, Awas Yojana, National Health Mission for the past two years and the arrears now run up to Rs 18,000 crores.
He also recounted the incident when they had to wait for more than two hours to meet Union Minister of State for Rural Development Niranjan Jyoti in Delhi only to be forcibly removed from the ministry's premises.
"We MPs and our ministers came to Delhi to meet the honourable Minister, not Cabinet Minister, the Minister of State. Surprisingly, we kept waiting for two hours in the waiting hall, we were offered tea. Finally, when we went for the meeting, she left...We were lifted bodily, and were taken 20 kms away from Delhi," he said.
"We demand that MGNREGA allotment, Awas Yojana allotment should be sent to the state government without delay. We are keen to place our demand to the PM of India... and hope this issue would be discussed on the floor of the House, and economic blockade should not be allowed," Bandyopadhyay said.
Responding to the Trinamool member, Pradhan alleged corruption on part of the West Bengal administration.
"They take money meant for the poor people of West Bengal from the central government, they keep their cut money, that is the reason. All states in the country remain in the financial system, Bengal thinks it is above it, the state government thinks they are above it," Pradhan said.
Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and party MLAs, MPs and ministers, along with those engaged in MGNREGA work, had staged a protest at Rajghat in Delhi on October 2.
The next day, they staged a protest at Jantar Mantar here, after which they marched to the Rural Development Ministry housed in Krishi Bhawan.
The Rural Development Ministry has said that funds for West Bengal has been on hold since March 9, 2022, as per a provision under Section 27 of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, which stipulates measures in case there is non-compliance of directives of the central government.
