Bengal's fund frozen as state has failed to give utilisation certificate for money given: Babul Supriyo

As West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on Monday afternoon that the Centre was yet to release Rs 13,714.32 crore to the state under several welfare projects, BJP MP and Union minister of state for heavy industries and public enterprises Babul Supriyo said at a separate press conference in the evening that funds were frozen because the state had failed to give utilisation certificate (UC) for the money that had been allotted so far. “The state government should submit the UC first and then say these,” he said.

He alleged that the state government had not only renamed Central government projects as its own but had also failed to submit an account of usage of those funds. “The Chief Minister has been touring the districts saying that she had been giving people rice at Rs 2 per kg but the truth is that Food Corporation of India (FCI) was buying the rice at Rs 33 per kg of which, the Centre was providing Rs 29.67 per kg, the state was paying Rs 1 per kg and consumers were paying Rs 2 per kg for the rice. In spite of the Centre paying 91 per cent subsidy for such foodgrain, the state government did not even mention the Centre’s contribution,” he said. Similarly, he said that wheat was procured by FCI at Rs 24 per kg of which the Centre was paying Rs 21.45 per kg and consumers were paying Rs 2 per kg for it. “The state government has no contribution to this but is trying to take all the credit,” he added.

He also held some printed documents saying how much money was allotted in different housing, NREGA and Swachh Bharat, Amrut projects of the Central government. “We will raise the issue at the parliament,” Supriyo said.