Kolkata: Alleging that the West Bengal government is diverting central funds meant for development projects, Suvendu Adhikari -- the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly -- wrote a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 29. In the letter that was dispatched on Friday, Adhikari has demanded an inquiry into his allegations by 'officers who are not likely to be influenced by the state government officials'.
The letter alleges that the West Bengal state government has remitted all Central funds to the wage and means head of the consolidated fund. "The transactions of that particular head have to be thoroughly enquired into," it adds. Adhikari also accused the government of ignoring West Bengal Finance Secretary Manoj Pant's preference for a public sector bank for opening its state nodal account, and instead opening it in the ICICI Bank.
The leader has also accused the state government of withdrawing a major portion of the funds received under different Central sponsored schemes and depositing the same in the state emergency relief fund. He has further alleged that the government spent this money in its own interest for other purposes.
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The letter further mentions that the state government is delaying the sub-allocation of funds to different departments which are even six months. "As a result, accounting of schemes gets jeopardized and subsequently utilization certificates cannot be generated on time. Whereas the calculation gets erroneous because it has been tampered with in the first place, due to an intentionally delayed deposit," the letter mentions.
"So, the whole 'hue and cry' that the Central Government doesn't pay in time is totally false and a politically motivated narrative, uttered time and again to reap benefits," Adhikari wrote in the letter. He further claimed that it is possible to trace evidence of irregularities if transactions of these accounts are thoroughly scrutinized. "So, it is my earnest request to you to kindly consider these grave charges with seriousness and kindly take appropriate steps so that the malpractices come to an end and no one can malign the Central government unnecessarily," the letter adds. (With Agency Inputs)
