Patil unaware of facts, claims WB BJP after minister says corruption not known

After Union minister Kapil Moreshwar Patil said he is not aware of any corruption in the MNREGA scheme in TMC-ruled West Bengal, BJP on Thursday claimed he is not well aware of the ground realities and officers have submitted misleading reports to him.

Patil, the Union Minister of State For Panchayati Raj, on Wednesday told reporters here that he cannot remark off-hand on the allegations of corruption at the panchayat level in the state and has to check with officers before making any comment.

His statement contradicted allegations of corruption levelled by the state BJP leadership to target the Trinamool Congress.

''I don't know what he (Patil) has said. Maybe because he is a minister of state, he is not well aware of the facts and ground realities. You (journalists) have to speak to the Union cabinet minister in charge of the department,'' West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said.

BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh claimed that Patil may not know about corruption in MGNREGA as officers of the union government are not doing their job properly.

''They (officers) came, stayed at hotels and just submitted reports in a way that local Block Development Officers wanted them to do. So, it is quite natural he (Patil) won't be aware of the ground reality,'' he said.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the Union minister had told the truth, and the state BJP has been caught lying about corruption in MNREGA.

''The union minister himself has said he is not aware of any corruption. The BJP should apologise for making false allegations,'' he said.

Patil had rejected the TMC's allegation of 'non-release' of MGNREGA funds by the Centre to West Bengal and said there were complaints that some states changed the names of central schemes.