Kolkata/Nabagram: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national spokesperson Abhishek Banerjee from a rally at Nabagram in Murshidabad on Monday alleged that the Centre took away Rs 17 lakh crore out of the state in the past 9 years only by hiking the prices of petrol and diesel but it has not yet cleared state’s dues of Rs 1,15,000 crore. He also threatened a bigger movement in Delhi after the Panchayat election if the dues are not cleared by the Narendra Modi government.
“Bengal has dues worth Rs 1,15,000 crore from the Centre. After their election defeat in the Assembly elections in Bengal, the BJP government has stopped giving funds. Around 20 lakh people in Murshidabad are involved in 100 days work. The Centre has stopped giving 100 days work dues,” Banerjee said.
He further attacked the BJP government at the Centre by saying: “The Mamata Banerjee government has spent Rs 37,000 crore for Laxmir Bhandar scheme under which women belonging to general category are getting Rs 500 per month and those belonging to SC/ST community are availing Rs 1000 per month.”
He added: “The Centre is taking Rs 1000 from people on the pretext of Aadhaar and PAN card link. In the name of ‘Achhe Din’ the price of an LPG cylinder has gone up to Rs 1200 from what stood at 400. Prices of all the essential commodities have skyrocketed due to the hike in the price of petrol and diesel.”
He stated that the three-tier Panchayat Raj system plays a pivotal role in the development of the areas.
“We are here so that people can select their candidates in the forthcoming Panchayat elections. I also urge the people of Murshidabad to support us so that we can organise a bigger movement in Delhi to snatch the state’s dues,” Banerjee said while campaigning for “Trinamool-e Nabajowar”.
Abhishek on repeated occasions in the past few rallies blamed the Centre for not clearing Rs 7,500 crore dues under the 100 days work scheme.
“The Narendra Modi government has been in power for 9 years but not a single development has taken place in Murshidabad while the Mamata Banerjee government in the state has carried out a host of projects in the past 12 years,” Banerjee said.
Giving an account of development projects, Banerjee said: “Around 16,83,000 women in Murshidabad have availed Lakshmir Bhandar scheme and 64 lakh students have got scholarships under ‘Eikyashree’ project. Around 21,03,000 families received Swasthya card in Murshidabad.”
Later in the evening, he interacted with people at a tea stall in the Kuli area. Earlier in the day, he took out a massive rally in Kandi where people poured in. He received a thunderous response from the people in Kandi.