West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sat on dharna from today, against Centre upholding state’s dues. The protest over Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government not clearing dues, especially pertaining to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has become one of the primary agendas of the Trinamool Congress to take on the BJP.
The protest, which will continue for 48 hours, is taking place near Red Road, Maidan. CM Banerjee is spearheading the agitation, where other party leaders are also present.
This is not the first instance when the TMC has come together against Centre’s alleged step-motherly attitude towards the state. Sources claim that this is the third notable agitation of the TMC over the issue, ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
Earlier, TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee spearheaded the protest over MGNREGA dues at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, along with party leaders. This was followed by a five-day demonstration outside Raj Bhavan in the state.
CM Banerjee has once claimed that the Centre owes nearly Rs 7,000 crore to the state with respect to the MGNREGA dues. There are over 21 lakh MGNREGA workers in the state.
Keeping in mind State Board Examinations of Class X which started from today, demonstration will be a low-key affair with no usage of loudspeakers, asserted a source.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005, works towards providing livelihood and security of households in rural areas by giving at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year.
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