Trinamool accuses central auditor of creating political issues on ‘BJP’s words’
The Trinamool Congress on Sunday accused the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of “creating political issues in BJP’s words” after its report said the West Bengal government delayed the submission of Utilisation Certificates.
The CAG’s State Finance Audit Report for 2020-21 said there was a delay in the submission of Utilisation Certificates of Rs 2,29,099 crore from 2002-03 to 2020-21.
Reacting to the report, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the CAG is “misleading people” and that the state government has submitted all Utilisation Certificates to the central government since it came to power in 2011. He added that the TMC government will not take responsibility for the period 2002-03 to 2010-11 when the Left Front government was in power.
Ghosh also accused the opposition parties in the state of using the CAG report “as a tool” to attack the state government.
Last week, the BJP had cited the report to allege that the “mother of all scams” had taken place in the state.
TMC MP Derek O’Brien also rejected the report and said it was a result of the BJP targeting West Bengal as they “failed to take on” his party politically. He added that the BJP-led government at the Centre was indulging in “fiscal federal terrorism”.
He said MGNREGA guidelines clearly state that workers should be paid within 15 days of completion of work but the central government failed to do so. The TMC leader also said the Bengal government on Saturday pledged to clear the dues of 21 lakh MGNREGA workers.
“The announcement made by Mamata Banerjee yesterday will change the federal outlook in the years to come in India, where the Union Government is depriving the state because they politically oppose the state,” said Derek O’Brien.
Earlier on Friday, Chief Minister
