Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on December 20 where she will demand the release of central funds to Bengal for various development schemes.
“The chief minister had sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to place her demand for central funds that had been stopped by Delhi over the past year or so. The PMO has confirmed that the Prime Minister will meet the chief minister on December 20 at 11am in Parliament House,” said a source at Nabanna.
Later in the evening, Trinamul's mouthpiece Jago Bangla confirmed the meeting between Mamata and Modi on December 20.
Speaking to the party's mouthpiece, Mamata said: “I had sought time from the Prime Minister to meet him. The Prime Minister has given me time.... Straightaway I will ask him (Prime Minister) to release funds for Bengal under development schemes.... It is the right of the state to get the funds."
Sources in Trinamul said that the chief minister is scheduled to visit Delhi between December 17 and 20.
Mamata is likely to attend a meeting of the Opposition alliance INDIA on December 19.
“Earlier, it was decided that the chief minister could lead an agitation in Delhi between December 17 and 18 to demand the release of central funds for schemes including 100 days' job and rural housing. But as she is set to place the demand before the Prime Minister, it is not clear if an agitation programme will take place,” said a Trinamul insider.
The Bengal government has been putting pressure on the BJP-led Centre after it froze funds for several rural development schemes, citing irregularities and misappropriation in the Trinamul-ruled state.
The Centre first stopped releasing funds under MGNREGS, citing gross misappropriation of funds. Later, funds under the PMGSY (rural roads scheme) and PMAY (rural housing scheme) were also stopped, and anomalies cited as the reason.
Trinamul launched agitations over this in Delhi and Calcutta led by party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. “The outcome of the December 20 meeting is likely to decide the future of our protests,” said a Trinamul source.
