Trinamul Congress workers were forced to return the “cut money” they had allegedly taken from beneficiaries of various welfare schemes of the Bengal government at two places in East Burdwan district since Sunday night.

At Ketugram, three Trinamul workers and the father of a ruling party activist returned around Rs 1.5 lakh they had collected from 32 beneficiaries for recording their names in a housing scheme.

Sources said altogether six Trinamul leaders had been summoned to a kangaroo court a week back at Nabagram in Ketugram and they were forced to give an undertaking that they would return the money.

On Sunday night, three of the six and the father of a fourth worker distributed the amounts among the beneficiaries.

BJP workers recovered Rs 3.89 lakh from Trinamul workers and handed over the amounts to 140 people in Bandul gram panchayat in Shaktigarh on Monday. The money had been collected from the beneficiaries for the enrolment of their names in the 100-day employment guarantee scheme. The villagers alleged that local Trinamul leaders had collected Rs 5,000 each.

Minister promise

Panchayat and rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee assured the Assembly on Monday that the state government would fully cooperate with those who would lodge formal complaints on the cut money. “If the allegations are proved against accused persons, he would be jailed for six years. If the accused is proved innocent, then there is three-year jail provision for the one who has levelled the accusation,” Mukherjee said.