Bengal's Frozen Development Funds: Mamata Threatens Resignation, Demands Meeting with PM Modi

Bengal's long-frozen development funds were ordered to be released by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday, or she will resign.

Hey, it's Dao, let's go play godi chharo. "Hoy taka din, noy biday nin (Quit if you can't give us our dues)" was Mamata's statement at a government benefit distribution event held at the Parade Ground in the Alipurduar area.

Mamata said that she wanted to see Prime Minister Modi on her next visit to Delhi. On Saturday, she had stated in Bagdogra that she had requested an appointment with the Prime Minister for next week.

"Hopefully, he schedules a meeting for us. The amount of money that the national government has withheld totals Rs 1.15 lakh crore. This is a repugnant move since it is discouraging development activity in the state by delaying the approval of money for Bengal. The chief minister said, "Just think of how much more development we could have done in the districts if we had the funds."

She said that money from the rural housing and road projects, as well as the 100-day MGNREGA work plan, had been withheld by the Center. Following Union Minister for Rural Development Giriraj Singh's suggestion in Parliament that Mamata bring up the matter with the Prime Minister, Mamata had previously said that she had already met with Modi three times on the withheld cash.

"BJP leaders only hoard praise before polls. They take credit for the home drinking water delivery program, while the state supplies the land and does the labor. Mamata said on Sunday that "the Centre collects GST from Bengal but does not pay us our due share."

She gave farmers her word that their government will always be on their side. To draw attention to the problems facing farmers, the BJP had earlier this week announced preparations for nationwide rallies.

Leaders of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, and other state BJP leaders have been claiming for the past few days that farmers in certain southern districts have suffered enormous losses because the administration did not notify them in advance of the possibility of heavy rain due to Cyclone Michaung, allowing them to harvest their produce.

"The crop insurance program will provide compensation to the impacted farmers. Additionally, on December 12, a portion of the yearly cash support of Rs 5,000 that we provide to farmers would be distributed to 1.20 crore peasants in Bengal. Approximately 90,000 farmers in Alipurduar would get the funds, according to the chief minister.

Mamata said that the BJP was making unfulfilled promises.

"They did nothing despite their announcement that the shuttered tea gardens will reopen. We chose to reopen the gardens instead. They exclusively engage in dalali, or persuading people to cast ballots, before to elections. Conversely, we think that individuals should work and be well-off," she said.