After an attempt to stonewall the decision to allow FDI in retail, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee appears determined to kickstart the implementation of the Central government-sponsored flagship schemes through administrative arrangement instead of the “inactive” Gram Sabhas, which are otherwise the nodal agencies for such purposes. The move has come in the wake of over `600 crores for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) lying unspent for the past seven months.
Sources in the ministry of rural development said that execution of various Centre-sponsored schemes have come to a grinding halt in West Bengal.
“About 62 per cent of the Gram Panchayats in West Bengal are either controlled by the Left or the Congress. They have become inactive after the Trinamul Congress wrested power in the state,” sources said, who added that `600 crores is lying unspent in the state as the nodal agencies are not taking up the work.
West Bengal happens to be one of the laggard state as far as the implementation of NREGS is concerned as the state government could utilise only about 36 per cent of the funds in the first seven months of the current financial year.
What is most discomforting for the Centre is that while it’s making attempt to strengthen Gram Panchayats with various infrastructural development, the West Bengal government wants to get the work done through an administrative officer of the rank of the BDO, said sources.
“Not only NREGS, various other social welfare schemes like the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), pensions to widows, old, handicapped, Indira Awas Yojna among others are also affected due to the dysfunctional Gram Panchayats in most parts of the state,” sources said.
The move appears to be a fallout of the deep political divide in West Bengal where various political parties do not have even a working relationship among them, with Opposition parties regularly complaining of being victimised by the ruling party.