TMC writes to EC protests against newspaper advertisements by Centre

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has filed a complaint with the Election Commission, objecting to the BJP-led Centre's advertisements boasting about funding allocation to the West Bengal government for different central schemes, which have been a focal point of the BJP's campaign efforts.

In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal on Thursday, the TMC pointed out that the central government had inserted advertisements in some papers at the cost of public exchequer saying how much money had been given to the state and also cited certain points pertaining to central schemes like PMAY, MGNREGA and some others.

The advertisement said the Centre had released Rs 5.36 lakh crore to West Bengal in the last five years and also committed to the development of the state, while also mentioning "non-adherence" of the state government to follow guidelines which are meant to reduce corruption and ensure benefits reach the right beneficiaries.

The letter also pointed out a campaign launched by the TMC which highlighted the non-release of funds by the Centre under various central schemes thus depriving West Bengal of its rightful dues only because it does not have a BJP-ruled government in the state.

The TMC said that these insertions "under the garb of government advertisements that had been done at the cost of public money had been made to advance the political agenda of the saffron party and to create a negative impression" about the West Bengal government.

The party demanded that necessary and emergent steps be taken by passing appropriate directions against this.

The withholding of West Bengal's MGNREGA dues by the Centre has been a focal point in the state's political discourse for the past year.

The West Bengal government commenced the payment of dues to approximately 30 lakh MGNREGA workers on Monday, amounting to Rs 2,700 crore, pending since March 2022.