TMC to broadcast Delhi protest against Modi government for rural job funds to gram panchayats across Bengal

 As the Delhi protest is also Trinamul’s outreach towards the rural populace, party leaders have been told to involve in the gram panchayat events villagers who have suffered joblessness because of the freeze of funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

Abhishek Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee.: File picture

Snehamoy Chakraborty, TT, Calcutta, 21.09.23 : The Trinamul Congress will observe Gandhi Jayanti in 3,300 gram panchayats across the state on a day chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and 600 MPs, MLAs and other elected leaders visit Rajghat in Delhi.

The following day, October 3, Trinamul will set up giant screens or monitors across Bengal to beam the party’s protest in Delhi against the Centre’s pause on the release of funds since 2021 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and others.

“There will be an event in each of 3,300 gram panchayats on October 2 evening. The leaders will pay tribute to Gandhiji and hold public meetings to highlight Narendra Modi government’s injustice towards Bengal,” a senior Trinamul leader said.

As the Delhi protest is also Trinamul’s outreach towards the rural populace, party leaders have been told to involve in the gram panchayat events villagers who have suffered joblessness because of the central funds freeze.

Trinamul’s initial plan to take at least two lakh people to Delhi for a mega protest rally on October 2 had to be scrapped as Delhi police, which reports to the Union home ministry, refused to grant permission.

On October 3, after the Trinamul protest in Delhi, a delegation led by Mamata and Abhishek is scheduled to meet Union rural development minister Giriraj Singh to demand central funds amounting to Rs 16,000 crore under the MGNREGS, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, among others.

The share for MGNREGS alone is Rs 6,907 crore, a source said.

The Trinamul delegation will also carry with it 50 lakh letters addressed to Modi from Bengal’s beneficiaries of central schemes.