Central names to be back in Bengal: Reports

State’s ruling party needs funds to carry out schemes like rural roads and dwelling units for the poor ahead of next year’s rural polls: Official

Mamata Banerjee.

TT Special Correspondent   |   Calcutta   |   05.07.22  : The Bengal government has reportedly begun the process of restoring original names of two key centrally funded projects — the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY ) and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) — amid murmurs that the move is triggered by fears that Delhi may not release funds again for these schemes till that is done.

So far, the Mamata Banerjee administration had argued that since the state shares 40 per cent of the expenditure under the PMGSY and PMAY, it had the right to rename them according to “regional requirements” and call them  “Banglar Sadak Yojana” and “Banglar Awas Yojana”.

The Centre recently suspended the release of funds under the PMAY and PMGSY citing that the Bengal government changed their names.

Multiple sources in Nabanna told this newspaper there has been a rethink on renaming centrally funded projects.

“This is the first time the state has blinked on the issue and started restoring the original names.… Verbal instructions have reached districts to change the names in the signboards put up along the project sites,” said a senior government official.

A source said that recently the national level monitoring teams from Delhi started inspecting projects under the PMAY and PMGSY in Murshidabad, East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas amid complaints of “anomalies” in carrying out projects.

“The process of name change began around the time the teams started their visits,” said a source.

Though officially no one in the government admitted to any such move, sources in the districts said that the BDOs have been told that boards with the names of PMAY and PMGSY need to be put in front of the projects under the schemes.

“All the BDOs have been asked to ensure that no one  calls them Banglar Awas Yojana or Banglar Sadak Yojana in front of the monitoring teams. Boards saying Banglar Awas Yojana and Banglar Sadak Yojana are being replaced with PMAY and PMGSY,”  said a senior official.

A source in a south Bengal district said that the central teams are checking whether the logo and name of PMAY was written at the project site while visiting a beneficiary of a home during the trip. Officials are also checking whether the boards of PMGSY have been put up properly.

Some officials said that it is important for Trinamul to ensure the flow of central funds under the schemes rather than fighting over names.

“Bengal’s ruling party needs funds to carry out schemes like rural roads and dwelling units for the poor ahead of next year’s rural polls. The cash-strapped state needs central funds to undertake the projects,” said a senior official.

Roughly, Bengal needs Rs 1,200 crore to finish dwelling units for which first or second installments had been released. Another Rs 2,500 crore is needed for building or repair of rural roads.

“The Centre shoulders 60 per cent of project cost. If the Centre does not release money, it is tough for the state to arrange funds alone,” said another official.