West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday strongly criticised the BJP-led Central government over the reported removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the MGNREGA scheme. Addressing a business and industry conclave, Banerjee announced that the state government will rename its rural employment guarantee programme, Karmashree, after Mahatma Gandhi.
Without naming the BJP directly, Banerjee said it was “shameful” to remove the name of the Father of the Nation from a national employment scheme. “If some political parties cannot respect our national symbols, we will. If they cannot honour Mahatma Gandhi, we surely will,” she said.
The Chief Minister stated that despite the Centre allegedly withholding MGNREGA funds, the Bengal government has continued providing employment under the Karmashree scheme using state resources. Currently, the scheme offers 75 days of work, and Banerjee said the state aims to increase this to 100 days in the future. “Even if central funds stop completely, we will ensure people get work. We are not beggars,” she asserted.
Speaking on Bengal’s economic growth, Banerjee said the state has transformed into a world-class destination. She highlighted Bengal’s emergence as a major logistics hub and gateway to Southeast Asia, Northeast India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and eastern Indian states, adding that global players like Amazon and the World Bank are partnering with the state.
