TMC-BJP lock horns as central teams visit West Bengal

Ruling TMC termed visits by central teams to Malda and East Midnapore districts as 'political vendetta' by BJP-led government at Centre

The central teams' visit to West Bengal to look into complaints of irregularities in the allotment of houses under PMAY on Thursday sparked off a war of words between the TMC and BJP. The ruling TMC termed the visits by the central teams to Malda and East Midnapore districts as "politival vendetta" by the BJP-led government at the Centre.

The state's political cauldron has been on the boil for the last few days over allegations and counter allegations of irregularities in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) housing scheme after it was found applications by several people having multistoried homes were approved in some districts. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reacting to the central teams' visit, slammed the Centre for turning a blind eye to the corruption by BJP leaders and targeting TMC leaders.

Raking up the issue of non-payment of funds for the 100 days' work scheme to the state, she said, "The Centre is not releasing funds under MGNREGS. But it is sending central teams to assess the implementation of PMAY. We have already investigated and cancelled 17 lakh applications by those who own two to three-storied buildings.

"BJP leaders have taken the money from PMAY despite having two/three storied buildings," Banerjee told reporters.

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The union rural development ministry had sent a communication to the state government on January 3 informing it about the impending visit. Deputy secretary Shakti Kanti Singh and director Shailesh Kumar of the central rural development department are leading the teams in Malda and East Midnapore respectively. Echoing Banerjee, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh slammed the union government for pursuing vendetta politics.

"The Centre is pursuing vendetta politics. It is not sending teams in Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states where there are similar complaints," he added.

"Two central teams are visiting the districts of Malda and East Midnapore district for field inspection. They can visit any place they want," state Panchayat and rural development minister Pradip Majumdar told PTI.

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Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha refuted the allegations of vendetta politics and dubbed it as "baseless". "The allegations are completely baseless as there has been a scam in PMAY. That is why the Centre has sent teams to the state. There has to be accountability for central funds as it is public money. The TMC is involved in this scam and that is why it is so terrified of the visit," he said.

Meanwhile, members of one of the central teams who went to Bhagabanpur under Kanthi sub-division in Purba Medinipur district faced demonstration by villagers who blocked their car alleging that they were not getting jobs of the rural development projects under the 100 days' work of Centre.

"We are deprived of 100 days' work. There is no work. We are in an extremely difficult financial situation," Malati Baidya, an agitating local woman said.

Accompanying policemen managed to convince them to move away and the central team members went ahead with their scheduled visit.

A district BJP leader accused TMC of engineering the protest. But the latter said it was a spontaneous demonstration by aggrieved locals as the Narendra Modi government had squeezed fund allocation for Bengal for executing MGNREGS.