Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the Union Government should do away with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) if it is unable to clear the dues it owes to the State. Ms. Banerjee has been raising the pitch against the Centre for the past few months over pending dues to the State, particularly the funds due in the MGNREGA.
The Centre is not doing a favour by giving funds to the State, the Chief Minister pointed out, adding that she had raised the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ms. Banerjee was in the State’s Jangalmahal region on the occasion of birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.
Ms. Banerjee said, addressing a public meeting at Belpahari, that the Centre cannot deny funds for MGNREGA as it is a constitutional norm and the Act was passed in both Houses of Parliament. She said that the State Government cannot “beg” for what is due to the State. The Centre has not paid MGNREGA dues to the State since December 2021 on grounds that there has been corruption in the implementation of the scheme.
She also criticised the West Bengal BJP leaders who have urged the Centre to stop fund flow to the State, and asked if that money was “personal property” of saffron party leaders.
Later in the day, Ms. Banerjee interacted with locals in the Belpahari area and when a few women said that they don’t have drinking water connectivity, she blamed the lack of funds for the piped water project under Jal Jeevan Mission to have come to a halt.
“By 2024, all the houses were to get piped drinking water. But the Centre has stopped giving funds, which is why the project has come to a halt. Once they pay, we will start implementing it,” she said.
The Chief Minister said that she is “fighting with the Centre” against the injustice.
