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Follow UsNew Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) Trinamool Congress MPs on Wednesday staged a protest in Parliament premises over the issue of pending Central dues for West Bengal.
TMC MPs gathered near Mahatma Gandhi's statue at the Prerna Sthal in Parliament complex, holding banners and placards alleging that the Centre owed West Bengal Rs 2 lakh crore.
The TMC MPs then marched to Parliament House, raising slogans over the issue.
"The protest was on the very serious issues of complete breakdown of the federal structure and the fact that the MGNREGA dues of West Bengal have not been paid for the past four years, either for work already done or for new work enlisted. We have dues of over 7,000-8,000 crore in MGNREGA," TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra said.
She said the Centre has also not given money for Awas Yojana, the prime minister's housing scheme.
"The third is the Jal Jeevan Mission, which was touted as this great project of the prime minister for providing clean drinking water to every household. In 2024, the mission has lapsed and after that they have not renewed it. Pipes are lying half done," she said.
In a post on X, the TMC said the Centre owed West Bengal Rs two lakh crore. "Bengal's rightful money must be returned! The Bangla Birodhi Modi Government has shamelessly blocked Rs 2 lakh crore owed to our people. But today, at the foot of Gandhi's statue in Parliament, our Hon'ble MPs rose as one, a united roar against injustice," the TMC said.
"Bengal will not bow. Bengal will not stop. And every single rupee that belongs to our people, we will take it back," it said.
The protest came a day after Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan informed the Lok Sabha that the release of funds to West Bengal under the MNREGS was stopped with effect from March 9, 2022 by invoking the provisions of Section 27 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, (MNREGA) owing to continued non-compliance with the directives of the Centre by the state. PTI AO DV DV