West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday levelled a series of serious allegations against the previous government in a lengthy address in the Legislative Assembly, claiming large-scale, systemic corruption across multiple sectors during the tenure of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Presenting what he described as “only the tip of the iceberg,” Adhikari outlined alleged irregularities ranging from the allocation of Rs 324 crore to a business association under the pretext of a business summit to the diversion of funds from various social welfare schemes.
One of the key allegations raised by the Chief Minister pertained to illegal activities linked to stone quarries in Birbhum district. He claimed that nearly Rs 1,100 crore to Rs 1,200 crore was siphoned off annually through illegal stone mining and smuggling operations, with funds allegedly routed through TMC’s Camac Street office and further transferred abroad. Adhikari did not name any individual directly but made references to a “Yuvaraj” as the mastermind.
It is believed that Adhikari referred to Mamata’s nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee as “Yuvaraj”.
Citing revenue figures, the Chief Minister said that while annual earnings from Birbhum quarries stood at around Rs 7 crore during the previous regime, the figure had risen to Rs 83 crore within a month and a half of the new government taking office, and is projected to reach Rs 100 crore per month. He argued that the discrepancy indicated large-scale revenue leakage in earlier years.
Adhikari also raised concerns regarding alleged financial irregularities involving a political consultancy firm, claiming that a contractor associated with the Public Health Engineering Department transferred Rs 10 crore from a State Bank of India account in Kakdwip to an account linked to the firm. He stated that all such transactions would be investigated.
Further, the Chief Minister cited data related to the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, alleging that around 30 lakh fake beneficiaries had been identified. According to him, this resulted in an estimated annual loss of Rs 5,400 crore due to fraudulent disbursements. He accused officials at the highest administrative levels of allowing such practices to continue.
Adhikari asserted that strict legal measures would be introduced and that individuals found guilty would face stringent action, including possible confiscation of assets to recover misappropriated funds.
The Assembly proceedings also saw a notable moment when Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Kunal Ghosh stood up during the speech and supported the call for action against those allegedly involved in corruption. He urged the government to proceed firmly and not spare any individual, including those who may have distanced themselves from the party in recent times.
Political observers believe Ghosh’s remarks were directed at dissident leaders within the TMC, amid an ongoing internal rift within the party.
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