Bengal departmental secretaries summoned to Delhi to discuss pending central dues

Kolkata : The departmental secretaries in West Bengal have been summoned to Delhi on January 23 to deliberate on the issue of pending dues to the state government under schemes sponsored by the Centre.

Sources from the State Secretariat of Nabanna said that the West Bengal government received a communication to send the secretaries to the national capital. According to information, meetings will take place on January 23 between the secretaries and Union government officials.

A state government official said that the maximum pending dues are under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and the 100- day job scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The dues pending under the two schemes are Rs 8,000 crore and Rs 7,000 crore, respectively.

This issue has led to prolonged tension between the Central and West Bengal governments. The ruling Trinamool Congress government has accused the Centre of deliberately holding back the funds.

Uhe Union government and the BJP have also been accused of massive irregularities in implementation of these two schemes in West Bengal in the form of fake job cards in case of the 100-day job scheme and in the form of ineligible beneficiaries in case of PMAY.