Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s plan to pay the outstanding wages of nearly 21 lakh MNREGA job card holders from the state treasury and use the issue of central deprivation against the Narendra Modi government in the Lok Sabha elections was challenged with Enforcement Directorate raids on Tuesday. Had to face. At least four locations across the state to investigate alleged anomalies in the implementation of the central scheme.

The Trinamool government, which plans to portray the Centre’s decision to withhold funds as BJP’s anti-Bengal and anti-poor stance, wasted no time in raiding the houses of government officials to probe embezzlement of funds. Did. In the form of fake job cards – another example of vendetta politics.

As soon as the ED raids began on Tuesday morning, Trinamool mobilized its senior leaders to accuse the BJP of deploying the central agency on the instructions of Bengal BJP leaders, especially opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari.

Adhikari had met senior BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in New Delhi on Monday and later claimed that he had done what was necessary to ensure that the ruling party was “tightened” in Bengal. Was.

“Just understand the sequence of events of today’s ED raids. The central agency was activated a day after Suvendu Adhikari met several (BJP) leaders in Delhi, including the (Union) Home Minister and the Finance Minister. He (the official) claimed without giving details that Bengal will soon see the results (of their meetings). State Industries Minister Shashi Panja said, this is enough to prove again that the BJP leaves the ED loose to fulfill its political agenda.

Trinamool also fielded Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya to attack the BJP over the raids.

Trinamool has been organizing several programs over the past few months to ensure the release of funds, including pending wages of about 21 lakh people. Mamata had also directly requested Modi to release the funds withheld from January 2023.

Fed up with the never-ending wait, Mamata had announced on February 3 that her government would pay the pending wages of 21 lakh job card holders from the state treasury on February 21.

Trinamool leaders believe Mamata’s decision to clear the salary arrears without waiting for the Center was a smart political move ahead of the Lok Sabha elections as it reinforces the central deficit narrative which the party wants to use as the main election issue. Is. Modi government.

The top Trinamool leadership has already asked district units to launch a massive campaign to take Mamata’s February 3 announcement to every village as part of a larger plan to portray the Modi regime as “anti-Bengal”. Have asked for.

A senior Trinamool leader said that by attacking the ED, the BJP has made it clear that Mamata’s decision has taken them by surprise. “The truth is that the BJP has lost its mental balance after the announcement by our Chief Minister… BJP leaders in Bengal started running here and there when they realized that their plan to create havoc in rural Bengal by imposing economic sanctions has failed and They imposed ED on us,” said Panja, Trinamool MLA from Shyampukur.

Over the past few months, several BJP insiders have said privately that the party hopes to make political gains in rural Bengal as the fund closure begins to hit the rural economy – characterized by unemployment – and they Trinamool can be held responsible for this situation.

A source in the saffron camp said Mamata’s decision to pay the dues is a blow to that “game plan”.

Panja said, “Since the people of Bengal are not only happy but also thanking Mamata for her decision, the BJP wants to change the narrative and hence the activation of central agencies has increased.”

A Trinamool leader close to Mamata said on Tuesday that the party will intensify the ongoing protest and highlight how the Modi government is “upset with Didi’s decision”.

However, BJP leaders reiterated their allegations of irregularities in the implementation of the rural job scheme in Bengal.

“They issued fake job cards and adopted various tactics to misappropriate funds… The state government purchased a mango sapling for Rs 40, while it was available in the market for Rs 20. Similarly, he bought a coconut tree for Rs 250.” While the market price was Rs 40. If ED investigates the scam properly, the government will be arrested

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