State govt is not utilising Central funds properly: Babul Supriyo

Kolkata: The West Bengal government has not been utilising central funds for various projects properly, minister of state for heavy industries and public enterprises, Babul Supriyo said on Monday.

Citing the example of a solid waste management project under Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan, he said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was apparently eager about it initially but backtracked when it was decided that the project would take off from Asansol.

Mr Supriyo is the Lok Sabha MP from Asansol constituency.

“After it was decided the project would be first implemented in Asansol and the Swachchh Bharat pledged to pay Rs 12 crore and I alloted Rs 1 crore from MPLAD fund, suddenly they scrapped the project and re-named it Nirmal Bangla but no civic development took place in Asansol afterwards,” he said. Mr Supriyo alleged that Centre-funded projects to solve water scarcity in Asansol city were being used to beautify and set up new parks and painted blue and white — Trinamul Congress’ favourite colours.

Referring to the Amrut project, Mr Supriyo said while the state was entitled to get Rs 4,025 crore from the Centre from the 2015-2020 period, it got only Rs 489.71 crore till date as the Centre was yet to get the utilisation certificate of the first instalment.

He said the amount allocated to the state through PM’s houseing scheme is also not being implemented properly due to the non-cooperation of the West Bengal government.

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said at the press meet Mr Supriyo will unravel certain charges against the West Bengal government’s non-use and renaming central funds.

“We are not politicising a serious issue like development,” Mr Supriyo said.

BJP state President Dilip Ghosh alleged a party worker was killed in the state by TMC on Monday and the BJP rank and file were being subjected to such murderous attacks by the ruling party.