Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman​ cites statistics to trash TMC's claims of Centre ignoring Bengal

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman connected Tuesday cited details of the ample infrastructure projects successful the highways, railways and airports sectors and the societal payment strategy undertaken by the Narendra Modi authorities successful West Bengal to refute the claims of the Trinamool Congress that the Centre was discriminating against the state.

In her reply to the Union Budget statement successful the Lok Sabha, the Finance Minister said that portion the Centre had been allocating funds nether societal payment schemes, determination were instances of corrupt TMC cadres siphoning distant the funds.

“Trinamool Congress has institutionalised corruption, gutted institutions and Trinamool has go a by-word for exploitation. Has TMC present go Trinamool - which means grassroots - Virodhi?” she remarked.The Finance Minister said that similar each different State, PMAY-G is being implemented successful West Bengal since 2016-17. 

The Government has released Rs 25,798 crore arsenic Central stock to the State since 2016-17.

However, determination are complaints of irregularities successful the implementation of PMAY-G, including a enactment of ineligible households. There person been 25 lakh fake occupation cards successful MNREGA, and funds meant for radical astatine the grassroots person been looted by TMC cadres. 

A Rs 100 crore Mid-Day Meal fraud, ration mafia thriving denying radical connected grassroots their benefits. Besides, Ayushman Bharat was blocked, denying healthcare to the mediocre radical surviving astatine the grassroots level.

“Only 43 per cent pat h2o sum vs 74 per cent nationalist average. Capital enactment crashed from 6.7 per cent (2010) to 2.9 per cent successful caller years -- a nonstop effect of your hostility to investment."

"There are nary jobs, nary factories, nary vision,” Sitharaman said.She further stated that West Bengal was erstwhile India's concern powerhouse with a 24 per cent stock of concern accumulation successful 1947, but the authorities is present acold down successful manufacturing astatine 3.5 per cent stock successful 2021.

“Bengal's per capita income maturation lags nationalist averages for 20 years. 

It's ranked 23rd successful 2021-22,” she remarked.The Finance Minister further stated that the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done a batch of things for West Bengal. 

The database includes AIIMS Kalyani inaugurated successful West Bengal successful February 2024.West Bengal besides received a grounds allocation of Rs 13,955 crore for obstruction infrastructure and 1,293 km of caller railway tracks were constructed since 2014. As galore arsenic 9 Vande Bharat trains person been operationalised and 101 railway stations are being redeveloped successful Bengal nether Amrit Bharat Scheme.

She besides highlighted that Indian Railways' 1st Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal has been commissioned successful Asansol Division of West Bengal portion successful June 2024, the Union Cabinet approved Jamshedpur-Purulia-Asansol 3rd Line.She besides highlighted that a 38 km Metro enactment was constructed since 2014 astatine a outgo of Rs 23,050 crore successful the state.

Refuting the TMC statement that the Centre has been discriminating against the state, Sitharaman said implicit 2,309 km of National Highways person been constructed successful West Bengal since 2014. Besides, successful August 2024, CCEA approved the 4-lane Kharagpur-Moregram National High-Speed Corridor, which is 231-km-long astatine a full superior outgo of Rs 10,247 crore.

Coming to Airways, Sitharaman said successful August 2024, CCEA approved the improvement of a New Civil Enclave astatine Bagdgora Airport, Siliguri, West Bengal astatine an estimated outgo of Rs 1549 crore. Operationalisation of Durgapur successful 2019 and Cooch Behar airports successful 2023 nether RCS UDAN. 

Revamping of Bagdogra and Barrackpore Airfields was besides undertaken astatine a outgo of implicit Rs 500 crore, she added.Highlighting the improvement of societal infrastructure successful the authorities financed by the Centre, Sitharaman said implicit 38 lakh houses were built for the mediocre nether PM Awas Yojna portion 93 lakh pat h2o connections were provided nether Jal Jeevan Mission.

 Over 83 lakh household toilets were built nether Swachh Bharat Mission and 494 Jan Aushadhi kendras were besides operationalised. Besides, 5.3 crore Jan Dhan accounts were opened and implicit 5 crore MUDRA accounts were sanctioned for the mediocre successful Bengal.

“It is ironic that Trinamool Congress, a enactment which prides itself connected being rooted successful the grassroots (Trinamool), present symbolises harassment and denial of rights to the radical surviving astatine the grassroots, i.e 'Trinamool,'” the Finance Minister remarked