Modi govt provided over Rs 2 lakh crore rural funds to West Bengal: Minister Giriraj Singh
Narendra Modi-led NDA government has provided Rs 2.05 lakh crore to West Bengal under various rural development schemes in the past nine years, way above the Rs 58,058 crore released during the UPA regime, rural development minister Giriraj Singh said on Monday, rejecting the state's allegations of discrimination.
On Monday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers held protests in Delhi, alleging that the Centre isn't releasing funds to West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and other rural schemes.
The Centre stopped the release of funds to West Bengal in early 2022 under Section 27 of the MGNREGA on the ground that the state government had failed to initiate adequate action against those involved in the alleged irregularities detected by national monitoring teams in 2019 and 2021, Union government officials had said earlier.
Still, Rs 54,150 crore (central share) has been released to West Bengal under the MGNREGS in the past nine years, against Rs 14,985 crore by the UPA government, Singh said in a statement released by the rural development ministry. Similarly, Rs 30,000 crore has been released to the state under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, compared with Rs 4,466 crore during the UPA period, he added.
Singh accused the TMC-led West Bengal government of siphoning off public money released by the Centre by issuing 2.5 million fake NREGS job cards.
