West Bengal: TMC delegation meets Governor amid protest against Centre
Oct 09, 2023
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 9 : The Trinamool Congress delegation led by its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday met Governor C V Ananda Bose at Raj Bhavan regarding the issue of the state's outstanding Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) funds dues with the Centre.
https://x.com/ANI/status/1711326663047512091?s=20
On Saturday, a three-member Trinamool Congress delegation met the governor in Darjeeling and urged him to take up the issue with the Centre.
The TMC's sit-in outside Raj Bhavan despite section 144, demanding the clearance of state dues under MGNREGA, entered the fifth day on Monday.
Before going to the Raj Bhavan, Banerjee slammed Governor CV Ananda Bose for writing to state Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi and inquiring whether permission was granted for the TMC's ongoing sit-in demonstration outside Raj Bhavan.
"Governor said that an appointment wasn't sought after returning to Kolkata. Our media cell can show the email if reporters want to see as we don't want to leak confidential information. Yesterday, he called Derek O'Brien at 9:50 and asked the delegation to come at 10. Our meeting ended at 8.30 pm. I asked him to give an appointment the next day i.e. today," Banerjee said.
However, the Trinamool Congress called Governor CV Ananda Bose's decision to meet their party delegation on Monday as a triumph of Bengal's resilience.
"In response to our official mail dated October 7, Honourable Governor, West Bengal, CV Ananda Bose has granted an appointment on Monday, October 9 at 4 PM to the AITC delegation to be led by our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee," the party said in an official statement.
Protesters, including party leaders and MLAs, have been asserting that the agitation will continue until the governor meets with them at the protest site.
The Ministry of Rural Development on October 5 had stated that the release of funds for West Bengal was stopped from March 9, 2022, in accordance with Section 27 of MGNREGA because of the state's non-compliance with directives of the central government.
