Manipur visit, WB’s uncleared dues... TMC leader puts out to-do list for govt

New Delhi: The Centre has a long list of steps to take in the new year, including clearing West Bengal’s dues under the MGNREGS and other central schemes, controlling violence in Manipur, besides curbing inflation and addressing unemployment issues, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien said on Thursday.

In a post published on his blog, the (TMC) leader listed 25 things that the Centre needs to do in 2025.

Controlling inflation should be the first step, he said, adding that ensuring an increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), attracting foreign investment, making the rupee stronger, providing “food for all” and ensuring equal wages are among the economic measures that the Union government should take.

Stressing that the Centre should “favour the common man”, O’Brien said in the last four years, a total amount of Rs 5.65 lakh crore has been written off for the industrial sector, while agriculture, the largest employment-generating sector in the country, received the least attention in terms of loan write-offs among all sectors from the Scheduled Commercial Banks.

The TMC parliamentary leader in the Rajya Sabha said the Centre should ensure dignity of life for farmers, adding that according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 30 farmers commit suicide every day and since February 2024, 22 farmers have lost their lives and more than 160 have been injured while agitating for a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Demanding that the Centre clear the dues of West Bengal, O’Brien said the Union government owes Rs 1,500 crore to the state under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

“The non-payment of the funds has directly affected the livelihood of 59 lakh MGNREGA workers,” he said.

On Manipur, he said violence has continued for more than a year, causing the displacement of 67,000 people, of which 14,000 are schoolgoing students.

“The Prime Minister is yet to visit the state,” O’Brien said.

Talking about the Parliament, he said since 2019, more than 100 bills have been passed in less than two hours and in the 17th Lok Sabha, nine of the 10 bills introduced were marked by zero or incomplete consultations.