New Delhi, March 10 Trinamool Congress MP Mohammed Nadimul Haque accused the Centre on Tuesday of giving "stepmotherly" treatment to West Bengal and sought reasons for withholding funds meant for various schemes.
Participating in a discussion on the working of the rural development ministry in the Rajya Sabha, Haque said the Centre has withheld dues worth Rs 52,000 crore to West Bengal under the MGNREGA scheme, which has now been replaced with VB-G RAM-G.
He said that as many as 59 lakh workers have been deprived of the scheme's benefits since March 2022.
"Why this stepmotherly treatment towards Bengal?" Haque asked, and sought the release of the dues.
Describing the VB-G RAM G Act as "a hasty piece of legislation", Haque said that earlier in MGNREGA, the funding was in the ratio of 90 and 10 – that is, 90 per cent by the Union government and 10 per cent by states – but now states have to pay 40 per cent.
He said, "this is an attack on federalism" and "on the right to livelihood as enshrined in our Constitution".
Haque said that the overall dues for West Bengal under the Ministry of Rural Development amounts to nearly Rs 79,000 crore, which makes more than 40 per cent of the ministry's budget for 2026-27.
Haque also demanded discussion on the working of the ministries of home affairs and commerce.