West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday blamed the Left Front regime for the corruption at the panchayat level and said it is difficult to weed out it at one go.
“During the regime of the CPI (M), there was 100% corruption at the panchayat level. We have been able to check 90%. It is not possible to weed out all corruption, remove all thieves. There are instructions from us that nobody should swindle public money,” Ms. Banerjee said at an event organised by the Kolkata police.
Irregularities in distribution of cyclone relief
The remarks by the Chief Minister come at a time when the Trinamool Congress government has been battling protests in different parts of south Bengal for the past few weeks where villagers are alleging irregularities in the distribution of relief for cyclone Amphan. On Wednesday, protests were held at two gram panchayats in Purba Medinipur. Ms. Banerjee said at places there is 6 to 7% corruption and the police are taking strong action against it. Efforts are on to weed it out.
The leadership of the CPI (Marxist) took strong exception to the remarks. Its polit bureau member Mohd. Salim said misappropriation of money has been rampant in Amphan relief. “There are protests for irregularities in Amphan relief across all districts from South 24 Paraganas in Murshidabad. There has not been a single case where action has been taken by the police,” Mr. Salim said.
Referring to legendary Communist leader and former Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu, Mr. Salim said the system of decentralisation through panchayats was started by him.
Prove charges, CPI(M) dares Mamata
“Today is Jyoti Babu’s birth anniversary. He started the panchayat system and Mamata Banerjee has dismantled it.” Another CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said he dared the Chief Minister to prove allegations of corruption against any Minister in the Left regime.
Reacting to the developments, the BJP leadership also targeted the TMC. “If the corruption in the CPI(M) regime was 100%, it is 500% in the TMC regime,” BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said.
