2 days after Mamata’s sit-in protest, Centre releases funds worth Rs 1,214 cr

Kolkata: The Central government has released funds to the tune of Rs 1,214 crore under SSA (Samagra Siksha Abhijan) and the Mid-Day Meal scheme for Bengal.

Interestingly, the second instalment of the funds was released soon after 30 hours of sit-in demonstration by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in front of the Ambedkar Statue on Red Road that ended at 6 pm on Thursday. Banerjee’s dharna programme was to protest against the Centre’s alleged discriminatory behaviour towards Bengal.

According to sources in the Education department, Rs 638 crore was released as part of the central share for the Mid-Day Meal scheme while another Rs 576 crore was disbursed in connection with SSA for the state.

About 60 per cent of the funds are borne by the Centre and the rest 40 per cent by the state government. The SSA fund is utilised as part of the composite grant, distribution of free textbooks, library grants, para teachers’ salaries and the like.

There have been allegations of irregularities in connection with the Mid-Day Meal scheme in the recent past and the Central team had visited several districts in the state.

It has been decided that an audit of the funds will be done by the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India). Amidst the process of audit, the disbursal of funds has taken place.

However, the funds in connection with 100 days’ work, rural housing as well as rural roads have not been released by the Centre as yet and Banerjee has threatened to hold a march in Delhi as her next step to ramp up protests.

“It seems the time has come to repeat Subhas Chandra Bose’s ‘Dilli Chalo’ call for the freedom of this country and march to Delhi. If the high-handedness of the BJP government does not stop and if people are kept deprived of their rights, then we will have to conduct one more march to Delhi,” Banerjee had declared from her dharna platform on the final day of the sit-in protest on Thursday.