State govt officials meet central secretaries on release of dues

The team of officials from six state departments including panchayat, urban development, education and health, submitted the report at a meeting with their central government officers at the Prime Minister’s Office 

PTI, Kolkata, Jan 23, 2024 : Representatives of the West Bengal government on Tuesday held a meeting with the Centre on release of pending central funds to the state and submitted a detailed report on the alleged irregularities in the 100-day work scheme along the steps taken to keep a check on them, a senior official said.

The team of officials from six state departments including panchayat, urban development, education and health, submitted the report at a meeting with their central government officers at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and held discussions on the release of dues to the state in various central projects, including the 100-day work, he added.

A report on their meeting with the central government would also be submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

“The discussion was held and we gave them details of expenses made for the different schemes. The meeting went well,” the official said.

Union Ministry of Rural Development Secretary Shailesh Kumar Singh also called on the state secretary-level delegation during the day, he added.

A senior officer of the state government claimed that a total of Rs 6,911 crore was the dues to Bengal from the Centre for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Of this, Rs 3,732 crore was for payment of wages to 100-day workers and the remaining Rs 3,179 crore was a non-wage liability, he said.

At the meeting, the West Bengal government officials gave a detailed account of the utilisation of the funds for the PMAY (PM Awas Yojana), MGNREGS, National Health Mission (NHM) and PM Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), he added.

Last December, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and demanded the release of pending central funds to the state.

After the meeting, Banerjee had said the prime minister proposed that officials from the state and the Centre could sit together and clear the issues.

The Centre and the West Bengal government have been involved in a tug-of-war over the release of funds to the state, with the TMC holding a protest led by its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the national capital in October last year.

The BJP has accused the TMC government of siphoning off central funds meant for Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojna and MGNREGA.