Pending Central Funds: Abhishek seeks white paper from PM

Says Anubrata Mondal was arrested as he refused to join BJP

Abhishek Banerjee, Narendra Modi, West Bengal BJP, kolkata, kolkata news, tmc, mamata vs pm modi, pm modi, mamata banerjee, west bengal, wb news, indian express

TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee offers prayers at Madan Mohan temple, in Cooch Behar, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. (PTI Photo)

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee Wednesday reiterated his demand for a white paper on the funds disbursed by the BJP-led Centre to the state under various welfare schemes.

Addressing mediapersons at Rampurhat in Birbhum, Banerjee said, “I hope that he brings a white paper on central funds (given) to the state post-2021 Assembly elections. I have challenged (PM) to declare the amount of money his government at the Centre has released for the Bengal government under MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana scheme since the BJP lost the election here in 2021. If the funds were sent to the state to help the people get houses under the PM Awas Yojana then they would have gotten shelter during natural disasters.”

Banerjee’s comments came a day before PM Modi is slated to address a public meeting at Rash Mela ground in Cooch Behar.

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The TMC leader also alleged that the party’s former Birbhum district chief Anubrata Mondal was sent to jail because he “did not join the BJP”. “Anubrata Mondal did not join the BJP under pressure and that’s why he has been sent to jail. Had he joined the BJP like Suvendu Adhikari, Ajit Pawar, Himanta Biswa Sharma and others then he would have become a saint. Mondal was arrested for his alleged involvement in a cow smuggling case. A few days back, the West Bengal Police thwarted attempts to smuggle cows in trucks coming from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Mondal has been in jail for a long time. Then how come such incidents are taking place?” Banerjee asked.

A close associate of Mamata, Mondal is one of the accused in the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam.

He was arrested in 2022 over his alleged involvement in the racket by the Enforcement Directorate.