Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of creating fake job cards to loot MGNREGA funds provided by the Centre at a public rally in West Bengal's Siliguri on Saturday. He also accused the state govt of not being affected if the people are struggling or suffering.
Addressing the public at a rally he said, "TMC government is looting you at every step. Modi sends the money for MNREGA wages from Delhi but the TMC government here has looted you at every step. To benefit the TMC's 'tolabaz', 25 lakh fake job cards were created and given to the people. If Modi sends money to the poor's houses, then the TMC government gives your money to the people chosen by tolabaz."
This is the third visit of the Prime Minister to the state this month. Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose was among those present at the programme. Addressing the function, Modi said eastern India was ignored after Independence but his government considers it as the growth engine of the country.
He said, "There was a time when the trains entered north-east the speed used to reduce. But the effort of our government is to increase the speed of trains in North Bengal in the same way as it is being increased in the entire country. After independence for a long time, the development of eastern India was ignored."
"TMC is looting people of Bengal. It has created fake job cards to loot public money of MGNREGA sent by Centre. Corrupt state govt has done irregularities in West Bengal's ration system, ministers in jail," PM Modi said. Accusing the Mamata-led Bengal government of ignoring the needs of the people, he said, "Both Left Front and TMC govts have ignored basic needs of people of Bengal. I stress on electricity, bank accounts, tap water to make lives of our mothers, sisters easier," he said.
The PM inaugurated multiple projects of railway line electrification that will benefit the people of northern West Bengal and nearby areas, an official statement said. These railway lines are the Eklakhi-Balurghat section, Barsoi-Radhikapur section, Raninagar Jalpaiguri-Haldibari section, Siliguri-Aluabari section via Bagdogra, and the Siliguri–Sivok–Alipurduar Junction–Samuktala section, it said. He also inaugurated the doubling of the railway line in the Manigram-Nimtita section and automatic block signaling in the Ambari-Falakata-Aluabari section.
During the earlier two trips this month, the prime minister visited different districts of southern West Bengal -- Hooghly, Nadia and North 24 Parganas, considered the stronghold of the TMC. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had swept northern West Bengal, which the PM is visiting this time. Earlier in the day, the PM inaugurated the world's longest twin-lane 'Sela Tunnel' and several other development projects in Arunachal Pradesh.
ALSO READ | PM Modi unveils statue of Lachit Borphukan, addresses public meeting in Assam's Jorhat | VIDEO
ALSO READ | PM Modi inaugurates world's longest twin-lane Sela Tunnel, other projects in Arunachal Pradesh
