'State yet to get Rs 2,786 crore MGNREGA dues from Centre'

kolkata: Even as the state has topped the chart in providing employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by giving work to 1.1 crore people in 2021-22, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday said that Bengal was yet to receive MGNREGA dues amounting to Rs 2,786 crore from the BJP-led Union government.

TMC took a dig at the Centre wondering whether the latter spends more time 'sleeping or spewing venom'.

The party, quoting a list recently issued by the Centre, said that the eastern state has come second in generating mandays under the scheme.

"Under @MamataOfficial's exemplary leadership, Bengal ranked first among all States in 'Total Persons Worked' (Employed) in MGNREGA (2021-22). Bengal Govt. gave work to nearly 1.1 Cr people through MGNREGA! This is the #BengalModel that @narendramodi ji could only dream of!" it tweeted.

"Bengal ranked 2nd among all States in Person-Days-Generated (2021-22), having generated 36.4 Cr of person days. Rs 2,876 Cr is PENDING from the Central Govt upto March 31st, 2022. We're still awaiting payment and wondering if the Govt spends more time sleeping or spewing venom!" the party said in another Twitter post.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other TMC leaders have in the past repeatedly claimed that financial grants under various heads were pending with the Centre.

They had alleged that despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi surveying the damages caused by Cyclone Amphan in 2020, the BJP-led government at the Centre was sitting over the state's compensation package running into thousands of crores of rupees for a long time.

Agriculture Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay recently informed the assembly that 10 lakh farmers in the state were yet to receive funds under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, despite their details having been uploaded on a designated portal.

Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja had said in the Assembly that inadequate fund allocation by the Centre was affecting several welfare projects, but the state, despite the constraints, has managed to run these effectively thus far.

She had pointed out that the Union government has reduced allocation for autonomous bodies such as Central Adoption Resource Authority, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and National Commission for Women. Panja had said that change in fund sharing pattern between the Centre and the states has been affecting the projects.

Meanwhile, BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya, however, alleged that Bengal has a "pathetic record" in implementing MGNREGA.