Parliamentary Panel urges Centre to release funds for Bengal

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has recommended that the Union Ministry of Rural Development release the pending payments owed to West Bengal under various schemes. The continued suspension of these funds, it says, has led to a sharp increase in distress migration and disruptions to rural development initiatives.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, chaired by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, specifically addressed the issue of fund allocation to TMC-ruled West Bengal by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee has raised this concern multiple times, even staging protests in the national capital over the Centre's withholding of funds. The Union Government, on the other hand, has accused the state government of diverting the funds intended for these schemes to other purposes.


The committee noted that, according to data provided by the Ministry, no central funds have been released to West Bengal under MGNREGA and various other schemes for FY 2022-23, 2023-24, and the current financial year.

"The Committee strongly recommends that West Bengal receive its rightful dues for all eligible years, except for the year currently under dispute in court," the report states. It further recommends the pending payments be released without delay to ensure that ongoing rural development projects are not hindered and that intended beneficiaries do not suffer due to financial constraints.

The panel also highlighted that the suspension of funds has led to severe consequences, including a significant rise in distress migration and disruptions to rural development initiatives.