Babul barb at Mamata

TT, Calcutta: Union minister Babul Supriyo listed several central schemes on Monday to allege that the Bengal government had been renaming them to claim credit.

"I am producing government documents to prove my claims that the Mamata Banerjee government is misusing central funds allocated under several schemes and telling blatant lies to people," Supriyo told a news conference in Calcutta. The BJP's Bengal minder, Kailash Vijayvargiya, and state president Dilip Ghosh were by his side.

Supriyo referred to the cheap food grain scheme run by the Centre across the country under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

The Union minister claimed that rice given to the poor at Rs 2 a kg in Bengal was actually a central scheme for which the Centre supplies rice to the state at Rs 3 a kg. While the state gives a subsidy of Re 1 on every kilo, the Centre shoulders Rs 29.67, he added.

"The state has a total of 8 crore beneficiaries under khadyasathi. The Centre supplies rice at Rs 3 a kg for 6.1 crore beneficiaries. The state has 1.9 crore beneficiaries over and above the NFSA list and they are given cheap food grain, the cost of which is shouldered by the state," said an official.

The minister also accused a section of Trinamul leaders of demanding Rs 900 from beneficiaries for a toilet under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

"The Centre gives Rs 8,000 per toilet and the states add according to their capacities. In Bengal, it is Rs 12,000 per toilet, with the state's contribution of Rs 4,000. But why is Rs 900 being sought then?" the minister questioned.

Senior Trinamul leaders declined comment on the minister's remarks.