TMC Slams BJP for Withholding Funds Post-2021 Assembly Polls

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh criticizes BJP for withholding funds for the 100-day wage employment scheme following the 2021 Assembly polls. Ghosh calls for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to release a white paper on budget allocations to West Bengal, as protests promise to intensify.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh has criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for withholding funds for the 100-day wage employment scheme, attributing the action to the BJP's loss in the 2021 Assembly polls. Ghosh highlighted that TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee had requested Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to release a white paper detailing budget allocations to West Bengal, a demand that remains unmet.

The central government has not provided funds for the 100-day wage employment scheme, forcing the Chief Minister to disburse Rs59 lakh from state funds, according to Ghosh. The central government cites irregularities to justify withholding funds, while BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh receive money. Ghosh vowed to continue protests inside and outside Parliament until funds for the employment scheme and housing scheme are released.

"In the last four financial years, the BJP has collected Rs4.64 lakh crores in taxes from West Bengal, with pending dues exceeding Rs1.71 lakh crores. We need a white paper on funding for MGNREGA and the housing scheme. The protest will intensify under CM Mamata Banerjee and MP Abhishek Banerjee," Ghosh added. He emphasized that papers never lie, urging the Modi government to release the white paper to reveal the truth.