Centre withholds MGNREGA funds, Mamata says will use state funds

KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed outrage over the Centre's decision to withhold funds under the MGNREGA scheme to West Bengal over alleged anomalies, saying her government would build village roads with its own funds. The Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Committees were then directed to utilize their funds for the construction of roads in rural Bengal.

The decision to carry out the works at the expense of the state is aimed at the panchayat elections to be held next year. "The central government has stopped the release of funds under the MGNREGA scheme. Construction of roads in villages is the most visible development work in rural Bengal," Mamata said in an administrative meeting in Burdwan on Wednesday.

"People get direct benefits of good roads. I am directing the zila parishads and panchayat samitis to carry out the construction of village roads before the panchayat elections,'' she added. She spoke about changing the name of the schemes and said, "In Gujarat and other states, the central schemes are known by different names. Since we contribute 40 per cent of the cost in these projects, there is nothing wrong in it.''