Mamata Banerjee warns of protest if Centre doesn’t clear West Bengal’s dues in seven days
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has announced a gathering of leaders from non-BJP ruled states in Delhi to demonstrate against the Union’s negligence toward states.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has warned that her party will launch protests against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre if it does not clear the state’s dues within seven days, reported PTI.
Banerjee gave the ultimatum during a Republic Day programme at Raj Bhavan.
According to her government, the Centre owes West Bengal Rs 9,330 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Rs 6,900 crore under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Rs 830 crore under the National Health Mission, Rs 770 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Rs 350 crore under the Swachh Bharat Mission and Rs 175 crore under the Midday Meal Scheme, in addition to other outlays.
Banerjee had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 20 to discuss the issue of the Centre’s outstanding payments to the state. A team of state government officers met their Central counterparts in Delhi earlier this week and submitted a report on the alleged irregularities in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and measures taken to address them.
The Trinamool Congress leader’s comments were followed by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s remarks on Saturday urging state governments to resist the Centre’s efforts to undermine federal principles and its negligence of states, Mathrubhumi reported.
Vijayan had announced that several state ministers, MPs, MLAs and other leaders will gather at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on February 8 in protest against the Centre and invited the chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states to participate.
Vijayan said that despite Kerala achieving favourable outcomes in generating revenue through taxes and domestic production, the state’s purse strings have been tightened as a result of adverse policies by the Centre.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader pointed out that the state’s borrowing limit had reduced by Rs 6,000 crore in the current financial year.