West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that she will hold a protest from March 29 noon to March 30 evening to demand the release of funds for central schemes such as those for housing and rural employment guarantee.
“No fund allocation has been made in this year’s Union budget for these projects in Bengal. There are no funds for road projects as well. We are yet to receive ₹1,15,000 crore under several heads. I met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi six months ago and requested the Centre’s cooperation. I met (Union home minister) Amit Shah in Kolkata as well,” Banerjee said at the Kolkata airport before leaving on a three-day tour of Odisha.
“I will sit on a dharna (demonstration) near Ambedkar’s statue (in Kolkata) from March 29 to 30. I will raise the issue of price rise and the neglect that Bengal is facing. People are paying more than ₹1,100 for a cooking gas cylinder,” the chief minister said.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson alleged that the Centre is deliberately sending teams to stall the implementation of housing and other projects.
{{/usCountry}}The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson alleged that the Centre is deliberately sending teams to stall the implementation of housing and other projects.
{{/usCountry}}“They (Centre) are sending the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate after us to keep Bengal’s BJP leaders happy. The latter have become presidents of federal agencies. Government and party are quite different entities. A government has to work for the people,” said Banerjee.
She also took a swipe at the Centre over Interpol’s decision to revoke the red notice against fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi.
“From Adani to Mehul (Choksi), this is happening everywhere. The BJP government is working for them,” Banerjee alleged.
During her three-day visit to Odisha, Banerjee said she will also meet the chief minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik.
“But it is a personal and courtesy call and has nothing to do with (forming an) united opposition. Regional parties are always strong. The Centre forms policies but the state has to implement them. There is a question about the Centre-state relationship. We may discuss these,” said Banerjee. The chief minister is also expected to meet former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy on March 24 in Kolkata. “Kumaraswamy will come to my residence,” she said.
In Odisha, Banerjee said she will also offer prayers at Puri’s Jagannath temple and oversee preparations for setting up a Bengal government guest house in Bhubaneswar.
Banerjee, who was seen to be fronting an effort to unite opposition parties against the Bharatiya Janata Party, made it clear on March 17 that the TMC will not have an alliance with the Congress.
The BJP reacted to Banerjee’s plans on holding a demonstration in Delhi.
“She is remembering Ambedkar after neglecting members of the scheduled caste communities for more than a decade. These are futile attempts to divert media attention from the scams in which TMC leaders are facing probes and landing in jail,” said Bengal BJP’s former president Rahul Sinha.