On the day West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the release of funds pending to the State, Leader of the Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday visited the State Secretariat and met the State’s Chief Secretary “to expose the Chief Minister’s claims that the Centre is depriving the State” of funds.
Around the time Ms. Banerjee, along with a delegation of party MPs, met the Prime Minister, Mr. Adhikari and three BJP MLAs – Chandana Bauri, Bishal Lama and Shankar Ghosh – arrived at the Nabanna Buildings from the State Assembly. Later the MLAs met Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi and aired their grievances.
“Why is the Chief Minister of West Bengal raking up the issue of cooperative federalism in New Delhi, why is her Govt & Administration shying away from cooperative governance in Bengal? Why are BJP MLAs & MPs not invited to the administrative seminars held in the districts, where they are the elected representatives?” Mr. Adhikari said on social media platform X.
The Opposition leader referred to the administrative meetings conducted in North Bengal in the second week of December “utilising taxpayers’ money and not by spending Trinamool party funds”.
“Why is the WB government reluctant to implement the following Central government schemes – Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, or provide 75 lakh new gas connections under Ujjwala 2.0?” the BJP leader asked the State’s Chief Secretary.
“Why are people across West Bengal being deprived of the benefits of various government schemes, just because they are BJP supporters or have voted in favour of BJP? Why this pick-and-choose policy?” he asked the official.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Mr. Adhikari said his “visit was to expose the Chief Minister’s claims”. She had no right to complain that the Centre was depriving the State of funds, he said.
The sudden and unannounced visit of the the Leader of Opposition and BJP MLAs to the State Secretariat flummoxed the State administration. The BJP MLAs also held posters with “details of Centre’s allocation” to West Bengal.
