The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal on Sunday took on the BJP-led government at the Centre, alleging that it was indulging in "fiscal federal terrorism".
Addressing a press conference here, TMC MP Derek O'Brien rejected the claims that the West Bengal government did not provide utilisation certificates for central funds and alleged that the Centre was targeting the state as it was ruled by a party opposed to the BJP.
"This is fiscal federal terrorism… it is nothing but another attempt by the BJP to target West Bengal as they are failing to take on TMC politically," he alleged.
"The statements in the CAG report are being twisted deliberately by the opposition to engage in malicious propaganda. The Trinamool Congress will not take responsibility for the Left's lack of accountability during their regime as we have followed all protocols while in power," O'Brien said.
He said MGNREGA guidelines clearly state that workers should be paid within 15 days of completion of work, but as the "BJP cannot politically defeat Mamata Banerjee, it is now attacking the poor people of West Bengal out of sheer anger".
Another senior leader, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, claimed that in BJP-ruled states such as Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttarakhand, utilisation certificates for thousands of crores of rupees have not been submitted.
But only in West Bengal, opposition parties are spreading misinformation on the issue, she said.
"They think that if they block people's money, people will switch sides. But this will not happen because Mamata Banerjee keeps her promises. That is why 21 lakh MGNREGA workers will receive their rightful due by February 21," Ghosh Dastidar said.
She said that since May 2022, the TMC has been making futile requests to the Centre over the release of wages.
Another senior TMC leader, Kunal Ghosh, claimed that there has been no lack or deficit in the submission of utilisation certificates after the TMC came to power in the state in 2011.
"We cannot take responsibility for the period 2002-03 to 2010-11 when the Left Front government was in power," he added.
Amid a war of words with the BJP over the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on usage of government funds, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said it was "full of lies" and also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.
The BJP has seized upon the findings of the CAG report, alleging a staggering "mother of all scams" totalling approximately Rs 2 lakh crore in the Trinamool Congress-governed state.
Banerjee, who staged a 48-hour dharna demanding the release of West Bengal's "dues" from the Centre, has announced that her government would transfer funds directly to the bank accounts of 21 lakh MGNREGA workers in the state by February 21.
West Bengal BJP leader Sajal Ghosh questioned why the state government has not moved the court over the Centre allegedly not releasing its dues.
CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said the government must respond to the CAG's concerns, stating it has not released a white paper on this.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, alleged that TMC-run panchayats have prepared false bills with regard to MGNREGA expenditure.
"The TMC is flogging the MGNREGA issue to use the ill-gotten money for elections," he said.
If a committee is formed by the Calcutta High Court, it would be able to unearth this scandal, Adhikari said.
Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha alleged that the TMC government "plundered" central allocation for West Bengal for years and could not give any figure-wise break-up.
"Faced with queries now, Mamata Banerjee and her party are resorting to diversionary tactics which will not work anymore," he added.
"The CAG report definitely proved TMC's complicity in the misutilisation of central funds for the poor and they cannot pass the buck on the previous Left regime which was dislodged by the people of West Bengal with the hope that TMC will usher in changes. TMC has proved to be far worse," Sinha added. PTI BSM SUS ACD
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