bjp: Another showdown in offing as BJP asks TMC why housing scheme name changed | India News

NEW DELHI: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and West Bengal‘s Trinamool Congress government appeared headed for another political showdown as the Mamata Banerjee government has sought funds for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana while the saffron party questioned its decision to change the scheme’s name.
A day after chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter demanding funds under the scheme, BJP’s vocal social media in-charge Amit Malviya asked why the name of the scheme had been changed.
“Mamata Banerjee has written to the PM for funds under the PM Awas Yojana and MNREGA. Last we knew she had changed the name of PM Awas Yojna to Bangla Awas Yojna. Similarly, lots of complaints of corruption and violations under the MNREGA. She wants Center to fund her syndicates?,” asked Malviya.

On Thursday, West Bengal chief minister Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to release funds for MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana (PMAY).
In the letter, Banerjee said her government was unable to make wage payments for over four months now because of the unavailability of funds.
“It is very astonishing that the Government of India is not releasing funds to West Bengal for MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana,” she said.
“In Bengal, wage payment is pending for more than four months as Government of India is not releasing funds to the state to the tune of nearly Rs 6,500 crore — Rs 3,000 crore against wage liabilities and Rs 3,500 crore against non-wage liabilities,” she said.
She mentioned that West Bengal holds the top rank in implementing PM Awas Yojana, and since 2016-17, more than 32 lakh houses have been constructed.
“Considering the significance of the projects and the hardships being faced by the common people, I would request you for your immediate intervention and direction to the concerned Ministry to release the funds without further delay (sic),” she wrote.
However, BJP leaders have been claiming that the West Bengal government has been trying to take credit of the Centre’s schemes by changing names.

Among others, West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had sought that the state government should first change the name of the scheme to Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
The Trinamool Congress has, however, defended rechristening of some of the schemes saying that it was done to overcome the language barriers, especially in remote areas.
(With agency inputs.)