TMC looted rations provided by Centre during lockdown: Irani

Accusing the rulingTrinamool Congress in West Bengal of indulging in corruption,Union Minister Smriti Irani said on Sunday that while PrimeMinister Narendra Modi provided foodgrains for 80 crore peopleof the country for eight months during the pandemic, therations were looted by the party in the state.

Maintaining that over 50 crore mandays were createdunder 'Garib Rojgar Yojana' for migrant workers returninghome, Irani claimed that ''it did not happen in Bengal''.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in June last yearlaunched the employment scheme for migrant workers who hadreturned to villages from cities, during the coronaviruslockdown, to help them get jobs near their home and help indevelopment of villages.

''The Prime Minister provided five kg rice and one kgdal for 80 crore people of the country for eight monthsthrough 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana', but in Bengal,TMC looted it during the lockdown,'' she said addressing a BJPrally here.

Claiming that Shramik Special Trains arranged by theCentre were termed 'Corona Express' by Mamata Banerjee, Iranisaid, ''I want to ask her whether sons and daughters fromBengal working in different parts of the country areconsidered viruses by her''. PTI AMRMM MM