‘ECI allows funds to BJP-ruled Assam but disallows state to build houses of tornado-hit people’
Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday called the Election Commission of India (ECI) “double standard” saying that it has informed the state government that they would not permit to construct houses of the 1,600 families which were damaged in recent natural calamity in north Bengal.
He alleged that the same ECI allowed to provide Rs 1.5 lakh each to 2000 committees to celebrate Bihu in Assam, a BJP-ruled state.
He was speaking to the media outside Raj Bhawan after meeting the Governor. The state government had earlier urged the ECI and sought its permission to construct houses for the tornado-affected people. Banerjee said that the ECI in its letter to the state said that it can only give Rs 5,000 and Rs 20,000 based on the damages of the houses.
Citing an example, Banerjee said that ECI a couple of days ago had allowed to provide Rs 1.5 lakh each to 2,000 committees in Assam to celebrate Bihu. But in Bengal, the ECI does not allow the state to construct the houses for the distressed.
“Why will we not call the ECI double standard? The same agency had permitted to provide money to the committees to celebrate Bihu. But in the case of Bengal, the ECI is not allowing to set up houses for the poor. Their houses were completely damaged in the storm in Jalpaiguri. We have nothing against Bihu celebration but they should give permission to the state to set up houses for the affected. The Centre has stopped the dues under Awas Yojana. Now the state government is ready to provide funds to those who lost houses but the ECI is not allowing the state,” Banerjee said.
He further stated that ECI has given permission to state only to give Rs 5,000 and Rs 20,000 for partial damages. “Modi ji’s philosophy is they would not give funds for constructing houses and now obstructing the state to compensate the 1600 affected families.
He said that he would go to Jalpaiguri on Friday and hold a rally in Dhupguri. During his tour, he will meet the members of all the 1600 affected families. Banerjee reminded that he will take a delegation to the President of India in this regard if required.
Banerjee led a delegation to Governor C V Ananda Bose to inquire if the latter had taken up with the ECI his party’s certain legitimate demands.
He said that on Monday they met the Governor and said that ECI must act neutrally. Some of the issues were raised with the Governor and he felt the legitimacy of the demands.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the governor told the delegation led by Banerjee that he took up the demands with the two election commissioners as the Chief Election Commissioner could not talk to him.
“We had also demanded that ECI should give permission to the state to construct houses of the affected families in North Bengal. We told the Governor that the ECI should give all political parties a level playing field. Central agency should not act partially. The Chief Election Commissioner might have spoken to the Bengal Governor thinking that the latter might raise some demands of Bengal,” Banerjee said.
He also asserted that BJP’s performance in Bengal will be worse than the 2021 Assembly elections. Even if they arrest all Opposition leaders and play the election battle on empty ground, BJP will still lose the elections, he said.
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