'Verify facts before criticising': TMC hits out at Giriraj

Rejecting the allegations of corruption in MGNREGA levelled by Union Minister Giriraj Singh, the ruling TMC in West Bengal on Monday said he undermined the struggles of the state's poor.

Singh alleged that 25 lakh fake job cards were issued in the state, and the Centre was considering a CBI investigation into it.

The allegations came on a day TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee along with party MLAs, MPs and hundreds of supporters began a two-day protest in Delhi, demanding the release of the MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana funds for West Bengal.

''Mr Giriraj Singh should verify his facts before criticizing the Government of West Bengal and undermining the struggles of hundreds of thousands of deprived rural poor. Increasing funding over a ten-year period is not an act of charity but a necessity considering the changes in demographics, the economy, and the rising cost of living,'' the TMC posted on X.

The state government compiled a list of 11.36 lakh eligible beneficiaries under Awas Yojana, and submitted it to the Centre in November 2022, it said.

''After a thorough investigation by 69 Central Teams, it was determined that there were no major irregularities in the housing scheme. However, funds amounting to Rs 8,141 crore have not been released,'' it claimed.

''Similarly, despite 48 Central teams assessing the implementation of MGNREGA and the state government's compliance, funds worth Rs 6,907 crore have not been released,'' it said.

The TMC contended that Singh's claim that the Centre had not withheld funds was baseless. ''The sudden demand of a CBI probe while the State leadership along with the deprived beneficiaries are protesting in Delhi, seems oddly-timed. Why deprive the people for so long if an investigation was needed all this time? Clearly, the BJP cannot look the people in the eye and justify their vendetta politics, so now they're grasping at straws, scared out of their wits,'' it said.

''Lastly, if we're talking about investigations, let's not forget how the Centre conveniently uses its caged parrots, ED & CBI to continuously harass opposition leaders, while overlooking instances of widespread corruption in the implementation of Central Schemes in BJP-ruled states,'' it added.

Speaking to reporters, Singh said that the Centre does not stop funds of any state. ''But, when irregularities take place in a particular state, we stop releasing funds.'' ''The NDA government has so far released Rs 2.50 lakh crore to West Bengal,'' he said, without elaborating on the time frame during which the money was given.

The Center also gave Rs 54,000 crore (till March 2022) to West Bengal under the PM Awas Yojana, he added.

Leader of opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP said the Centre wants to eliminate corruption from the grassroots level.

''The TMC is upset because the BJP has dismantled its syndicates that have operated in West Bengal for years, and has taken a strong stance against corruption,'' he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)