'Deprivation' from Centre: Bengal govt to introduce 50-day job scheme, considers housing support for 11 lakh families

Kolkata: West Bengal’s alleged “deprivation” at the hands of the Centre found reflection in the state budget, presented on Thursday.

“The Central Government has deprived our marginalised people of their minimum subsistence right by denying fund under MGNREGA (sic),” the budget statement delivered by Chandrima Bhattacharya, minister of state (independent charge) finance department, mentioned.

On the political front, the ruling Trinamool has maintained a sustained campaign for the release of funds from the Centre, the latest being an ongoing sit-in protest organised in Kolkata by the party.

Drawing from the 100-day rural job scheme, the budget pitches a new scheme, Karmasree, that’s to begin from May this year. The scheme promises at least 50 days of work to the job card holders. The minister informed that the state has created 39 crore mandays of work, in the last two years, with the assistance of different departments (of the state government).

Bhattacharya, in her speech, alleged that the Centre continues to “deny our rights in a federal polity by depriving our citizens from their entitlements.” She named MGNREGA, Prime Minister Awas Yojna and Prime Minister Grameen Sadak Yojna, the programmes in this context.

“...Also under other important development programmes like National Health Mission, XVth Finance Commission, Food Subsidy the Central Government has immorally withheld our due money,” the minister stated. The dues in favour of the state government is a sum of Rs 1,18,000 crore, the state government has claimed.

The minister raised the issue of 11 lakh “approved families” having been denied funds under the PMAY scheme, and of having “repeated requests” ignored. The state government will wait for a month for receiving the funds. In case of a negative response from the Centre, the state will consider providing financial support to these families from its own funds.

The chief minister, while participating at the Trinamool’s dharna last week, had announced that in absence of central funds, the state government would pay up the due wages to the 21 lakh job card holders within February 21. The budget earmarks Rs 3,700 crore for the same, this financial year.

The government has claimed the gross state domestic product (at current prices) has grown nearly four times from Rs 4,60,959 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 17,00,939 crore in 2023-24 (1st AE). Considering major economic indicators, the government has stated that Bengal’s growth observed in the current financial year is higher than the national average. The minister proposed to provide Rs 3,66,116 crore in the budget, for 2024-25.