Mamata Banerjee
NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday publicly tore up a note outlining the new MGNREGA norms, escalating her feud with the BJP-led Centre and the saffron party, the poll-bound state’s principal opposition.Banerjee, who leads the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), accused the central government of imposing ‘valueless’ conditions for releasing West Bengal’s funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a central social welfare measure that aims to guarantee the ‘right to work.’“The day before yesterday, we received a letter saying that from December 6, we must submit a quarterly labour budget. They have imposed a restrictive condition. But where is the time to do this? It is already December and elections are due early next year. Then they said training has to be provided. When will you train people and when will you give them jobs?” she said at a rally in Cooch Behar, news agency PTI reported.The chief minister instead promoted her government’s Karmashree scheme, adding that she is confident of winning a fourth consecutive term. “I say this piece of paper (the MGNREGA note) is valueless. We will come back to power. Under Karmashree, we are giving 70 days of work — we will increase it to 100 days. We don’t want your mercy. That is why I am tearing this note. I find it disrespectful,” Banerjee told the gathering.She framed the confrontation with the Centre as a ‘battle for dignity and federal rights,’ asserting, “Bengal has never bowed its head and never will. Bengal knows how to walk with its head held high.”The TMC supremo further alleged that ‘large funds’ under MGNREGA remained pending from the Centre.“The central government has stopped MGNREGA. Even the high court has given an order in our favour. Our party members went to Delhi to protest. Cases were filed against each protesting MP. The train we booked was cancelled. A half-minister gave us a time to meet but did not turn up. Till 2021, we were number one in MGNREGA, Awas Yojana and rural road development. They have stopped all of these out of jealousy and hatred,” she alleged.“We have not received ₹51,627 crore for MGNREGA. They have kept this money hidden. Just before the polls, they will say they have released it, but then there will be no time left for development work. Even if they give it in December, the financial year ends in March, leaving us no time to act,” the chief minister added.The West Bengal assembly elections will be held in April–May next year, with the BJP aiming to unseat Banerjee and the TMC and form its first government in the state. In 2021, the BJP significantly increased its own seat tally but still fell far short of stopping a Trinamool landslide.
