Mamata Banerjee reiterated on Monday that charges of irregularities in food grain distribution through the public distribution system were a legacy of the Left Front government that the Trinamul-led government had to bear when it came to power in 2011.

“When we came to power in 2011, there were 1 crore fake ration cards. Rice used to be withdrawn through the ration cards during the Left Front tenure. We cancelled the fake ration cards but it took us 7 to 8 years to clear the system,” said the chief minister during a Vijaya Sammelani for her Bhowanipore Assembly constituency in Alipore on
Monday.

Her comment assumed significance as Opposition parties have been holding the Trinamul government responsible after Jyoti Priya Mallick, the food and supplies minister from 2011 to 2021, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of irregularities in the distribution of food grains.

The chief minister said the Opposition should think twice before pointing fingers at her.

“I don’t even have a cup of tea if it is offered by somebody. I don’t withdraw my salary as the chief minister which is Rs 1.5 lakh a month. I don’t even withdraw my pension as a seven-time MP which could be about Rs 1.25 lakh a month… Nobody thinks about it… Still we are thieves,” Mamata said.

She said her government digitised ration cards to bring transparency to the public distribution system. She added her government gave extra free food grains to residents of Jungle Mahal, Singur and all the tribal populace.

“No one can say anybody died of malnutrition during the Covid-19 pandemic…. No one can say he did not get food grains,” Mamata said in a bid to counter the allegation of irregularities in distribution during the pandemic.

Sources in the Trinamul said that the chief minister went on the offensive to counter the allegation of irregularities in the public distribution system since the party was facing an awkward situation after Mallick’s arrest.

“If the party does not counter the allegation from the start, it could be in trouble ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as more than 8 crore people depend on the rationing system in the state.... This is why the chief minister took it on herself to counter the allegations,” said a Trinamul insider.

CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty said Trinamul could not shrug off the allegations by holding the Left front tenure responsible.

“First, the Left Front was not in power during the Covid-19 pandemic when irregularities in the distribution of food grains took place. Second, if there were irregularities during the Left Front tenure, why did not she conduct an inquiry...?,” said Chakraborty.

The BJP said that it was the Centre’s intervention that led to the cancellation of more than one crore ration cards and the chief minister could not claim credit for this.