New Delhi: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday took a dig at the West Bengal government and said that the people of Bengal are being deprived of MGNREGA work because no work is happening in the state.
He further stated that during the Congress regime, MGNREGA was like 'Right to Work.'
It is to be noted that workers have been protesting in the state for the past few days to press for payment of Bengal's claims for central funds on account of various schemes including MGNREGA and housing for the poor.
Speaking to ANI, Chowdhury said, "MGNREGA is a legal right given to the common people. In the Congress's time, it was like 'Right to Work'... In Bengal, common people are deprived of MGNREGA because here work is not happening."
Meanwhile, the TMC on Monday ended their five-day dharna' outside the Bengal Raj Bhavan after Governor CV Amanda Bose met the party's leader Abhishek Banerjee and gave an assurance of fulfilling his solemn responsibility" by addressing the issue of MGNREGA dues to the state.
Bose had already met a TMC delegation in Darjeeling on Saturday and followed it up with Monday's meeting at Raj Bhavan where Banerjee was present.
The Diamond Harbour MP said that the governor had promised the party delegation to discuss the matter with the Centre within 24 hours.
The central government had earlier claimed that there were discrepancies in West Bengal's accounts for the scheme and hence payments had been delayed.
According to officials at the Raj Bhavan, a TMC delegation led by Abhishek Banerjee called on Bose during the day and the governor assured it that he would take up the matter of MGNREGA dues with the central government.