Smriti Irani refutes TMC allegations that Centre not providing funds to Bengal govt

KOLKATA, (PTI): Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday denied the allegations of Trinamool Congress that the Centre was not providing funds to the West Bengal government. Irani instead claimed that funds given by the Centre are not being utilised by the TMC government in West Bengal.

The remark comes in the backdrop of the TMC government accusing the union government of putting an ”economic blockade” in the state. ”Everyone needs to know the real truth behind what the TMC government is alleging. My ministry had provided funds to the Government of Bengal in the women and child welfare sector. That money is still lying, it has not been spent on the welfare of women and children of the state,” Irani, the Union minister of Women and Child Development, said.

”The state government before making baseless allegations, should explain why they failed to spend the money. Around Rs 260 crores are lying unused,” she said.

Irani also claimed that there had been irregularities in West Bengal in the utilisation of funds allocated under the ICDS scheme and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).

”The West Bengal government had spent the funds allocated under the PMMVY schemes in other projects run by the state. We then asked the state government why the rules were flouted, and the state government gave us in writing that they will follow the guidelines in future,” Irani said.

Reacting to the allegations of Irani, senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed it as ”baseless”.

”The allegations are baseless. The BJP leaders and union ministers are trying to mislead the people,” he said. (PTI)