Accusing the Centre of not releasing funds for the projects it is announcing, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday threatened to launch an agitation in Delhi. Speaking to journalists after a State level administrative review meeting Ms. Banerjee said that the by not releasing funds Centre is testing the patience of the State government.
While the Centre is beating drums about their schemes, “we have to struggle hard to get even a paisa”, she pointed out.
“You (media) make it the headline and people also become happy but a wrong message goes to the people. You do not write when the money does not come. To get even 20 paisa we have to struggle very hard,” she said.
The Chief Minister said of the 55 schemes of the Centre 39 schemes have been closed. Claiming that her government has spent most of the funds allotted by the Centre she said that all District Magistrates were complaining that all funds under the Integrated Child Development Scheme ( ICDS) are not being released.
She also took on the Centre on the poor condition of national highways in the State. “I have personally complained so many times. My throat is sore with saying this over and over again,” she added.
Later in the day, Chief Minister held a meeting with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu at the State Secretariat at Nabanna building. Both of them discussed key railway projects in the State including the East West Metro project which is grappling with certain bottlenecks.
