Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday accused the Trinamul Congress-run West Bengal government of letting loose a regime of 'tolabaji aur cut money' (extortion and commission) in the education sector of the state.

'Shiksha' (education) has turned into 'Ashiksha' (lack of education) in West Bengal, Pradhan, who is on a visit to the state, told reporters on the sidelines of a religious programme here.

Pointing to the arrests of several Trinamul Congress leaders and a minister in connection with teaching and non-teaching staff recruitment scam, he said the central agencies will unearth the entire scandal and take to task the guilty.

"TMC's greatest crime is recruitment 'ghotala' (scandal), Midday meal 'ghotala', raising money through 'tolabazi' and cut money," he alleged.

"It is a sad commentary on the situation in Bengal, which used to be known as the soil of goddess Saraswati," he quipped.

Pradhan was referring to arrests of former state minister Partha Chatterjee and several officials of state recruitment panel and education board in connection with teaching-non-teaching recruitment scam which is being probed by central agencies.

Reacting to Pradhan's statement, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said Pradhan must explain what he thought about "ED raids in several places in Uttar Pradesh in connection with education sector irregularities." "If there are few cases of irregularities our party and government are taking action against alleged offenders and we want truth to come out. We are cooperating with investigating agencies. But what is Pradhan's party doing in states ruled by it," he said.

Ghosh further said the human resource capital of students and teachers from Bengal is known countrywide even globally and that continues till this date. "Why is Dharmendra Pradhan finding it difficult to acknowledge that", he added.

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