Mamata Banerjee meets Modi over issue of pending central funds for WB

New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss pending central funds for the state.

She said the prime minister proposed that officials from the state and Centre can sit together and clear the issues.

Speaking to the media after the meeting in the Parliament complex along with nine party MPs, Banerjee said 155 central teams have already visited West Bengal.

Talking about the pending MGNREGA funds for the state, she said it is mandatory under the Constitution to pay the workers.

"We didn't even get a penny for 100 days of work (under MGNREGA) in the budget for 2022-23. Funds for (Pradhan Mantri) Aawas Yojna have been stopped, rural development schemes have been shut, and the health mission programme has also been shut. We are also not getting funds under the Finance Commission," said Banerjee.

"Our officials have given all the clarification they asked for. PM has said a joint meeting will be held by the Centre and state officials. I said we have given clarification 155 times. We can do that once again, they can decide the formula. In a federal structure, the central government has a share and the state also has a share," she said.

"It is not right to stop the money for poor people," Banerjee said, adding that the Centre owed Rs 1.15 lakh crore to West Bengal. PTI