‘State government to consider giving financial aid to Awas Yojana beneficiaries’

Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government will consider providing financial support to over 11 lakh approved families in the state who were deprived of houses due to Centre’s fund blockade under PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana). It was also announced that state will launch Karmashree Scheme through which Bengal government will ensure at least 50 days of work to each job card holder. The scheme will start from May 2024.

State Finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharjee, in her budget statement on Thursday, reiterated that the state will be waiting for another month for Centre’s response on clearing funds. She said if it doesn’t come, the state will do the needful. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already announced release of funds for wages for 21 lakh job card holders within February 21 in the backdrop of the Centre depriving them of their due wages under MGNREGA. “More than 11 lakh approved families are deprived of their housing needs and living in difficult conditions. The Centre has not responded to our repeated requests for release of our legitimate demand. We shall wait for another one month for receiving the fund that is due to us. If the central government does not respond positively to our demand, the state government will consider providing financial support to these families from its own resources,” Bhattacharjee said. She said that Rs 3,700 crore has been earmarked in this Budget for paying the wages of 21 lakh job card holders who have been deprived of their MGNREGA dues.

“In the last two years, the state government has created 39 crore man-days of work at a total expenditure of Rs 8297 crore, with the assistance of different departments. We are launching a new scheme named Karmashree through which our government will ensure at least 50 days of work to each job card holder. The scheme will start from May 2024,” Bhattacharjee said in her Budget speech.

In connection with another centre-state project PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sarak Yojana) for which the Centre has refused to sanction funds,the state government has launched Pathashree 3 under which 12000 km of rural roads will be created/ renovated at a cost of Rs 3868 crore.

Under Pathashree I and II, the state has created/ renovated 26487 km of rural roads at a cost of Rs 6448 crore.

Bhattacharjee alleged that the Centre has been withholding money depriving the state of other important development programmes like the National Health Mission, XV Finance Commission and Food Subsidy too. “The state has dues of 1 lakh 18 thousand crore from the Centre,” she added.