TMC set to transport MGNREGA job cardholders to Delhi by special buses

The TMC has arranged special buses to ferry nearly five thousand MGNREGA job cardholders to Delhi for their scheduled protest programme next week against the alleged withholding of funds by the Centre, a party leader said on Saturday.

Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee announced on Friday that his party would make alternative arrangements for transporting its supporters to Delhi for the October 3 protest programme, accusing the BJP of creating roadblocks after the request for a special train was denied.

"As we were denied a special train, we have made alternate arrangements for special buses to transport the MGNREGA workers to Delhi. Since the buses will be travelling through BJP-ruled states, we are also arranging for pilot cars to ensure the safety and security of the MGNREGA job cardholders," a senior TMC leader stated.

According to TMC sources, every bus will also have a TMC leader and activists to take care of the 100-day job cardholders.

"Special arrangements for emergency medical assistance are also in place. The party has also made arrangements for their stay in New Delhi," party sources said.

The TMC on Friday alleged that its request for a special train from West Bengal to New Delhi for the protest programme was declined by the railways. The Eastern Railways contended that it received the request from IRCTC, and the unavailability of the required number of coaches was the reason for denial.

Noting that West Bengal has around 2.65 crore people with MGNREGA job cards, Banerjee stated that thousands of them have arrived in Kolkata from various parts of the state to travel to Delhi to demand their dues.

"We applied for the train on September 23 to take them to Delhi, but today we were denied permission," he said.

Approximately 5,000 people were supposed to leave for Delhi on a special train on September 30, which was booked by the party, according to TMC leaders.

As part of the programme in Delhi, the party's MPs, MLAs, and leaders from different districts of West Bengal will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on his birth anniversary on October 2, they said.

The chief minister, who was initially scheduled to attend the program, might not travel, as she was advised 10 days of rest by doctors after suffering an injury to her left knee during a recently concluded two-country visit.