West Bengal government diverted MDM funds for compensation to victims of Bogtui violence: BJP
The Hindu
The BJP leaders shared photographs of cheques, and said that the money was diverted from the mid-day meal scheme in the State
A fresh controversy erupted in West Bengal over allegations that the West Bengal government had diverted funds of the mid-day meal scheme, to give compensation to victims of Bogtui violence.
The allegations against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were levelled by a number of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders including Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. The leaders shared photographs of cheques, and said that the money was diverted from the mid-day meal scheme in the State.
“CM @MamataOfficial paid compensation to the victims’ kin; burnt alive in the Bogtui carnage at Birbhum District, from the Mid Day Meal funds. Doing charity for photo ops, that too by misusing Central Govt funds meant for food & nutrition of schoolchildren! It’s a financial crime,” Mr. Adhikari said on social media on Saturday.
Mr. Adhikari said that he would inform Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan “about the financial transgression and request him to initiate legal action against the CM, Chief Secretary and Birbhum DM”.
The violence at Bogtui village in Birbhum district in March 2022 had rocked the State. After a local Trinamool Congress leader Bhadu Sheikh had been killed, there was retaliatory violence and ten persons were burnt to death. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had paid cash compensation to the families affected by the violence, days after the incident.
The Central Bureau of Investigation had probed into the violence and filed a chargesheet against 16 persons in June 2020. It had stated that the barbarity was due to “long standing rivalry in the village between two groups”. Recently, an accused in the Bogtui violence died in CBI custody, which trigerred an outrage. The West Bengal Police registered an FIR against several CBI officials, which was later stayed by the Calcutta High Court.
Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday said that it was not important from where the funds were sourced, but the intent of the State government on reaching out to the survivors of the violence was crucial. Mr. Banerjee added that the Centre had singled out West Bengal and not given funds for MGNREGA, amounting to ₹6,000 crore.