The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership on Sunday organised protests across West Bengal, demanding the release of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and PM Awas Yojana.
The call for the protests was given by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at the party’s annual Martyr’s Day rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds on July 21. Initially, the protests were to be organised in the form of a gherao outside the houses of leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on August 5, but the Calcutta High Court restrained the Trinamool leadership from organising any such programme. The TMC leadership then decided to hold the event on August 6 at the block level.
Senior leaders of the Trinamool, including MLAs and Ministers like Firhad Hakim, Sashi Panja and Bratya Basu, participated in the protest.
The Trinamool Congress posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle: “United in Purpose, Championing People’s Rights! Our leaders held a powerful dharna across Bengal’s districts, demanding the swift release of MGNREGA & Awas Yojana funds. We’ll not rest until every resident receives their due entitlements. Our determination remains unyielding!” .
Minister Firhad Hakim, who participated in the protests, said that central funds had been stopped to West Bengal “only for political reasons”.
Meanwhile, at Gangarampur in north Bengal, BJP MLA Satyendra Nath Roy arrived at one such venue where the State’s ruling party was organising a protest, and suggested that he approach the Centre with the Trinamool leadership on the issue of releasing funds. The development triggered speculation that the BJP MLA was warming up to the ruling party in the State.
At certain places in West Bengal, including Bankura, Malda, and Purba Bardhaman, leaders of the ruling party were heard threatening the Opposition from the stage set up to protest against the denial of funds.
Funds under the MGNREGA scheme have been stopped to the State since December 2021 on the grounds that there was corruption in the implementation of the scheme. Funds to the tune of ₹2,700 crore are pending as wages to the State. The denial of funds has brought the scheme to a complete halt in West Bengal.
The Trinamool leadership will hold protests in Delhi on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2023 over the denial of funds under the MGNREGA and other central schemes.
The Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari dubbed the demonstrations as “protests by the corrupt”.
