Chief Minister promises to pay MGNREGA dues from March 1

I had earlier announced clearing of MGNREGA dues by February 21 but it will take some more days.

MP, 15 February 2024, Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday, sought additional time for clearing the dues of the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers in the state and at the same time made it clear that if the Centre does not release pending money in connection with Awas Yojana (housing scheme) by April, the state will be clearing the same from May 1.

Banerjee, on February 3, during her dharna on Red Road had promised to clear dues of 21 lakh job card holders in the state on February 21. 

“I had earlier announced clearing of MGNREGA dues by February 21 but it will take some more days. We have done a survey of the job card holders where it was revealed that the number of job card holders is more than 21 lakh. It has actually risen to 24.50 lakhs. The banking procedure for the transfer of funds will take some more time. 

Hence, the clearing of the dues will start from March 1,” Banerjee said delivering her speech on The West Bengal Finance Bill 2024 in the state Assembly. 

She said the Centre has also not released funds for Awas Yojana in Bengal and payment against 11 lakh approved houses are due. “We will wait till April. 

If the Centre does not do the needful, we will pay from our state funds and the process will start from May 1,” she added. 

Banerjee also slammed the Centre for its Budget and termed it “anti-poor and anti-economic” and “political jugglery”. She alleged the Centre failed to spend the entire funds in connection with a number of their schemes. 

According to her, for tribal development, Centre has spent 40 per cent of the Budget, in Rajya Krishi Bikas Yojana only 50 per cent was spent while in Ayushman Bharat, it incurred only 23.5 per cent expenditure. 

“They have been alleging that we are siphoning the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna money to Pathashree. This is incorrect. The Pathashree funds are allocated from the state budget and not from central allocation,” she maintained. 

Mamata Banerjee accused the Central government of not sharing a 90 per cent collection of petrol, and diesel with the states in a glaring example of an anti-federalist attitude.