Mamata's anti-graft drive backfires, unleashes fresh chaos in West Bengal
Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee’s recent call to party functionaries to return bribe money, if they have taken any, from beneficiaries of government schemes, has triggered a statewide backlash against workers of the ruling party, including violent attacks.
At least five persons, including a sexagenarian woman, were injured in the ensuing clashes since her appeal at a meeting of party councilors in Kolkata on Tuesday (June 18).
Besides, Trinamool leaders and elected representatives were mobbed in Bankura, Malda, Purulia and Birbhum districts by “disgruntled” beneficiaries demanding return of the “cut money” allegedly paid to them to get benefits of the schemes.
On June 20, at around 8.30pm, a group of around 40- 50 persons laid siege to a TMC office at Bolpur in Birbhum district alleging that TMC leaders of the area took “cut money” from beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana.
The angry mob also staged a demonstration outside the house of TMC leader Krishna Das in Birbhum’s Sainthia. A local TMC councilor, Manas Singha, was also heckled by the demonstrators. Residents alleged that TMC leaders extracted bribe between ₹30,000 and ₹40,000 each from beneficiaries of the housing scheme.
A day before that, five people, including a woman, were injured in a clash between local residents and supporters of two TMC panchayat leaders whose houses were gheraoed in the same district.
The duo allegedly took “cut money” in the 100-days job scheme.
The TMC functionaries, however, denied the allegations claiming that the BJP was trying to instigate people against them.
Crackdown and chaos
Many in the TMC, however, felt that Banerjee’s call was ill-timed and would only embarrass the party much to the benefit of the BJP.
“Didi’s instruction may create confusion and trouble in the party. There will be more chaos on returning the cut money,” said TMC’s Birbhum MP Satabdi Roy.
The actress-turned-politician further said the action against “cut-money” menace should have been taken earlier as now it would be difficult to get the money back.
Banerjee, addressing 3,000 councillors of various civic bodies, said: “I am told that you (TMC functionaries) even take ₹200 to ₹2,000 given to a poor (under a scheme). I will not tolerate this. Those who have taken the money, refund it.”
Hours after she made the remark, people started coming out in groups demanding TMC leaders and elected representatives to return the kickbacks. Protests have been witnessed in Bankura, Malda, Purulia, Nadia and other districts in the past 72 hours.
A decorator in Nadia even lodged a police complaint against a woman councillor of a local civic body and her husband, a party worker, seeking return of money he allegedly paid to the couple. Paresh Sarkar alleged that Soma Ganguly and her husband Sukanta took ₹27,000 as bribe from him in two installments against the release of funds under PMAY.
A police officer of Santipur police station, where the complaint was lodged, said they were looking into the veracity of the complaint of the bribe.
Earlier, police arrested a TMC leader Sukesh Yadav from Malda’s Ratua area for allegedly taking around ₹1 crore “cut money” from beneficiaries of various government schemes.
The Trinamool government in West Bengal runs at least 20 welfare schemes, apart from central schemes, catering to the needs of various people, from pregnant women to the kin of a deceased who are too poor to bear the funeral cost.
Too late in the day
To deal with complaints of corruption in delivery of these schemes, Banerjee has now set up a CMO Monitoring of Programme Implementation and Grievances Cell headed by TMC leader Diptanshu Chaudhary. She also announced a toll free number (1800 345 8244) for all complaints. The complaints can also be sent via text messages at 9073300524 or emailed at wbcmro@gmail.com.
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said the state government was forced to take such steps as it is under pressure following its poor performance in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections.
“This will not help. There is corruption in every front, be it in allocation of government schemes or appointment in a state government job. The state will plunge into an unprecedented crisis if everyone now comes out and starts demanding return of their cut money,” the BJP leader said.
It’s not only the public ire that is causing ripples in the TMC. Party insiders said after being reprimanded by the party chief, many TMC councillors and leaders are now gearing up to switch over to the BJP.
Many councillors from Kolkata reportedly met former mayor and sidelined party leader Sovan Chatterjee on Thursday to chart their future course of action.
There are rumours that Chatterjee, who was stripped off his ministerial and mayoral portfolios, will soon be joining the BJP. Chatterjee, however, denies this.
