KOLKATA, 1 JULY : With Assembly elections only nine months away, fresh allegations of corruption have surfaced against Trinamool Congress party workers regarding illegal commission from relief funds meant to be distributed to Amphan-hit victims.
This has put TMC on the back foot with BJP starting to implement their plan of action for grabbing power and setting up new government in West Bengal.
This is not the first time that cut-money (extortion) allegations have been levelled against TMC local party leaders. In view of resurgence of allegations of extortion in the distribution of relief funds for Cyclone Amphan, sources in TMC said, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed the party leaders to see that all beneficiaries receive the monetary aid meant for them and legal actions will be taken against the leaders who embezzle the public fund.
Earlier during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, TMC leadership had drawn flak from the Opposition parties after TMC workers and leaders took cut-money from welfare schemes.
Finding her party on the back foot after she received complaints of fund embezzlement by her own party workers, Miss Banerjee called an all-party meeting on 24 June and formed a committee comprising CPI(M) and BJP leaders to oversee Amphan relief distribution process, prepare a resolution and appeal the Centre for further assistance.
During the all-party meet last week, Miss Banerjee urged BJP leader Dilip Ghosh and CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty to oversee the Amphan relief campaign with keen interest to better the lives of the people in need and contain further corruption.
Sources in the TMC said that the cut varied between 20 to 30 per cent depending on how the leaders approached. We received information that one of the TMC workers at Hingalgunj in North 24-Parganas has listed his own name in the beneficiary list although he is not entitled for the same, a source said requesting to keep himself anonymous.
The state government has sanctioned Amphan relief package worth Rs 6,250 crore and it was found that most of the panchayat members and their families have been included in the beneficiaries’ list, while several needy have been left out.
Political analysts are of the opinion that TMC taking illegal commission and CPI(M)’s subscription is almost similar although CPI(M)’s endeavour is more organised.
Amol Mukherjee, former principal of Presidency College and senior political analysts , said ” Paying donations is not new for people of West Bengal. During the Left regime, people had to pay money in the name of donations, subscription, issue-based help and the likes. Still, there used to be semblance of discipline as Left parties used to have hierarchical control even at the lowest level.”
Mr Mukherjee further added, “In this regime, things have gone out of control. Not only collecting money (in whatever name/purpose) is rampant, asking for percentage (cut money) from benefits legally accrued to people is becoming a common place incidence. It seems like a combination of touting and extortion.”
Earlier incidents of Corruption against TMC
In March, after chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that free ration will be distributed to all the beneficiaries, allegations were levelled against the Trinamool Congress leadership for hoarding food grains. The BJP party took no stone unturned to accuse the ruling government of hoarding food grains at a time when people are facing a pandemic. Miss Banerjee took this issue seriously and warned her party workers that actions will be taken them if they were found to be involved in hoarding food grains meant for distribution to beneficiaries.