According to sources in Nabanna, Banerjee mentioned in the letter that 60 to 70 per cent of the rural populace had Aadhaar cards. They would not face any trouble in getting job under MNREGA. But what would happen to those who are yet to get the cards, she asked. The Bengal CM urged the Prime Minister not to make it mandatory till 100 per cent of the rural populace get their Aadhaar cards.
It may be mentioned that linking of the job card to Aadhaar was taken to simplify and to bring transparency in making payment to rural workers through banks. But, those without Aadhaar cards would miss out.
The rural populace has been immensely benefitted due to the steps taken by the state government in the past five years to implement the rural job scheme. West Bengal’s track record in MNREGA implementation has been the best in the country.
But the Centre’s decision to link Aadhaar with job card may hit the pace at which the scheme is getting implemented in the state.
Sources said that Mamata had also expressed concern over the Centre’s decision to impose Krishi Kalyan Cess of 0.5 per cent on service tax . She also raised the issue of how withdrawal of IPS and IAS officers, engaged in development work would hit affect ongoing projects.
The progress of development work gets badly hit as the officers also need to go to other states to conduct elections. She said that the Election Commission could create its own set up to conduct the elections as it needs an investment of around Rs 1000 crore. The Bengal CM had written about it in her book “Janatar Durbare” in 1985.
On the Prime Minister’s claim of cancelling 1 crore fake ration cards that saved the Central exchequer of Rs 36,000 crore, Banerjee pointed out that 80 lakh fake cards were cancelled in West Bengal itself. Modi had appreciated the role of Haryana government in cancelling the fake ration cards. But West Bengal had shown the way.