Bengal polls: BJP and TMC trade barbs over 'corruption'
BJP leaders have alleged that widespread corruption by TMC has prevented the benefits of the money from reaching the poor
KOLKATA: Corruption is an evergreen issue in Indian elections and the two main players in the upcoming assembly elections in Bengal are trading barbs over the issue.
In the midst of the escalating war of words between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), TMC MP Derek O Brien has put out a list of dues to the tune of Rs 76,826 crore, stating that the Centre must pay up before labelling allegations of siphoning off money.
The Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson of Bengal’s ruling party claimed that the state’s dues are spread over as many as 18 heads from Sarva Siksha Abhiyan to health and family welfare.
On Thursday while speaking at a public rally in Cooch Behar, Union home minister Amit Shah returned the fire stating the Modi government has given the Mamata Banerjee administration in excess of Rs 3 lakh crore. “But have the benefits reached you?” he asked besides saying that the people faced two clear alternatives – the vikas (development) model of Narendra Modi or the vinash (destruction) model of Mamata Banerjee.
In the last week of December the Bengal chief minister pegged the amount of outstanding dues at Rs 85,000 core including Rs 8,000 crore on unpaid GST dues.
BJP leaders have alleged that widespread corruption by TMC has prevented the benefits of the money from reaching the poor.
According to Derek the biggest amount due from the Centre – Rs 32,310 crore – was under the head State Disaster Relief Fund for cyclone Amphan relief. The cyclone in May 2020 inflicted heavy damage in the districts of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Nadia, Howrah and East Midnapore.
Over the past few weeks, during the campaign BJP leaders have alleged that ruling party leaders have siphoned off money meant for cyclone relief.
The second biggest head in Derek’s list was Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, where Rs 14,520 crore was not allegedly paid.
The third biggest amount was on account of Bulbul cyclone relief Rs 6,334 crore. The cyclone took place in November 2019.
The smallest amount due – Rs 188 crore – was for work related to exchange of enclaves with Bangladesh. The exchange of enclaves was completed in August 2015 when India received 51 Bangladeshi enclaves covering an area of 7,110 acre and Bangladesh got 111 Indian enclaves spread over 17,160 acre.
In June last year, Derek had remarked that the Centre owed Bengal a total amount of Rs 1.53 lakh crore including money for cyclone Amphan relief and COVID 19 assistance.
Over the past one year, BJP MPs presented in Lok Sabha a series of figures pertaining to the amounts that were paid to the West Bengal government. It spanned a range of ministries such as railways, rural development, home affairs and road transport.
According to the replies by the respective ministries to the different questions by BJP MPs from Bengal the Ministry of Home Affairs disbursed Rs 574 crore for border area development between 2014-15 and 2018-19.
The ministry of rural development gave Rs 4,871 crore under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana between 2015-16 and 2019-20.
The ministry of road transport disbursed Rs 10,234 crore for development and maintenance of national highways in Bengal between 2016-17 and 2018-19.