Mamata Banerjee meets PM Modi, seeks pending funds for West Bengal
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, along with nine party MPs, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the new Parliament on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum urging him to release dues pending for the MGNREGA scheme and all other central schemes to the state. Banerjee said the PM has proposed that a meeting be arranged between the officials of the Centre and the state government to sort out pending issues related to the release of central funds.
Banerjee was accompanied by Trinamool National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, senior Trinamool MP Sudip Bandopadhyay, Saugata Roy, among others.
After the meeting, Banerjee said «the prime minister gave a patient hearing to us and has proposed coordination between state and central officials». Banerjee told reporters that 155 central teams have already visited West Bengal and the state government has given clarification on several issues raised by the Centre.
«We didn't get even a penny for 100 days work (under MGNREGA) in the budget for 2022-23. Funds for Awas Yojna have been stopped.
So is the case of rural development schemes and the National Health Mission programme. We are also not getting funds under the Finance Commission,» Banerjee alleged.
«In a federal structure, the central government has a share and the state also has a share,» Banerjee said, adding «It is not right to stop the money for poor people».
