West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced that her government would be transferring wages to the bank accounts of 21 lakh Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) workers in the state.
The CM made the announcement during her dharna against the BJP-led Centre over the alleged non-payment of dues to the state under various welfare schemes. Banerjee along with state ministers Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas and TMC leaders started the demonstration on Friday afternoon in front of BR Ambedkar’s statue in Kolkata’s Maidan area.
She also assured that her government would be paying dues under the Awas Yojna next, which have been pending since the past two years.
Speaking during the dharna, Banerjee said, “I have to run my family. Despite our limitations, we are running Lakshmir Bhandar, Kanyasree and other social welfare schemes. We are running 67 social welfare schemes which no other government offers. I will pay the pending wages of 21 lakh MGNREGA workers by February 21. I will give the pending dues under the Awas Yojna as well. Please believe me. When I promised, I will fulfil that.”
“The central government is thinking that they will starve Bengal to death. We will not allow them to succeed in that… Have faith in me… I will try to slowly clear step by step those funds which are still stuck,” she said.
The CM’s announcement about the MGNREGA wages evoked a sharp response from the Opposition camp with the Congress calling it a “bluff before the elections” and the BJP raising the state government employees’ long-standing demand for higher dearness allowance.
BJP MP Dilip Ghosh said, “She (Mamata Banerjee) should give the pending DA of government employees. They are staging a protest for months…The Centre stopped funds to Bengal due to the state government’s corruption.”
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Congress state unit chief Adhir Chowdhury said, “It is again a bluff before the polls. Now, Mamata wants to show how she is leading a big movement to demand pending funds under the 100 Days’ scheme… She nowadays speaks the language of the BJP. One of her allegations is that Congress tries to do politics with Muslim votes. The BJP says Congress is weakening and so does Mamata. The intention is clear, neither Mamata nor the BJP want the Congress to do well.” With PTI
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
