BJP MP Locket Chatterjee says Bengal govt renaming central schemes for electoral gains

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Member of Parliament Locket Chatterjee criticised the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government, saying it is fooling citizens of Bengal by claiming the credit for the schemes originally launched by the Centre.

The Hooghly MP made these remarks while speaking in the Lok Sabha.

Chatterjee alleged that central schemes were renamed by the Trinamool Congress for electoral benefit as Assembly polls are due in the state in next few months. Chatterjee said, “The Trinamool Congress government has renamed the health schemes and schemes aimed at helping out the farmers of Bengal. The Trinamool Congress has also stopped implementation of Centre’s schemes because they cannot ensure the steady flow of ‘cut money’ from these schemes.”

The BJP MP said that the Trinamool Congress MPs are ready to reach Ghazipur border in order to address the woes of farmers but they cannot tend to the demands of farmers in West Bengal. Chatterjee attacked the Trinamool Congress government saying that farmers in West Bengal are demanding the implementation of Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. The BJP MP also said that the recent farm laws passed by the Centre are aimed at benefiting the farmers and Trinamool Congress politicians are spreading misinformation about the schemes.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attacked the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal claiming that the chief minister has not implemented projects which would ensure growth and development of Bengal. He also pointed out that the state government is reluctant to implement Centre’s health and agricultural schemes in the state.

“Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, over 10 crore small farmers have received ₹1.15 lakh crore in their accounts. But farmers of Bengal could not because the state did not implement it. Now that the farmers have made up their mind to teach Mamata Didi a lesson, the state government has grudgingly agreed to join the scheme,” the Prime Minister said while addressing a BJP rally in Haldia.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress are pitched against each other in an electoral battle as Bengal heads towards elections later this year. Observers have expressed their concerns over the polling process as violence between cadres of both parties led to loss of lives of several people over the past couple of years.