Mamata writes to PM on central funds

The Centre-State clash is not new and this time West Bengal Chief Minister has written to PM Modi on reduction of funds to the State. Mamata pegs the amount at Rs49,619.30 crore which the West Bengal Government did not receive till January 2020. Despite this, Mamata says the State has repaid Rs3lakh crore worth of debt and interest accumulated from the 34-year-old Left Front regime.

Of this, Mamata says the Centre is denying Rs11,212.51 crore devolution funds as mentioned in the Union budget estimate presented for 2019-20. This she says will impact implementation of development schemes in the State. The letter also talks about the change in date to hand over the devolution funds saying the date was shifted from the 1st to the 20th of the month, which leads to a cash crunch.

“This delay in payment of the devolved funds from the Centre is leading to a cash crunch at the beginning of the month when funds are most needed for payment of developmental activity and other commitments. Therefore the date of devolution funds may please be shifted to the first of the month as was the practice earlier.” Said Mamata in the letter.

The TMC supremo chose to strike a chord with her party’s ‘Maa Maati Manush’ slogan saying the State has not received Rs36,000crore for the centrally-sponsored schemes (CSS), which cater to the poorest sections of society. Mamata also spoke of Rs2,330.01 crore, which the Centre had reportedly not sent on account of Special Backward Regions Grant Fund.

The letter mentions two other aspects. One is the cesses and taxes which Mamata says the Centre relies heavily on, has increased over the last five years from 6.14% in 2014-15 to 18.4% in 2019-20. “Since these do not form part of the kitty of the central taxes, their devolution to the State does not happen. This has become an instrument of reducing the receivables of the State from the Central Government,” said Mamata.