Kolkata: The five-day dharna’ staged by the TMC outside the Bengal Raj Bhavan ended Monday 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 dharna was to press for payment of Bengal’s claims for central funds on account of various schemes including MGNREGA and housing for the poor.
Banerjee, however, threatened to relaunch the agitation under TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee’s leadership on November 1 if a satisfactory response on “non-payment” of MGNREGA wages to workers was not received.
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.
Banerjee later stated, “We are withdrawing the sit-in outside Raj Bhavan for the time being. We have requested the governor to inform us of progress within two weeks on the MGNREGA issue.”
The Diamond Harbour MP added that party chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also supported the decision to withdraw the protest.
He further mentioned that the governor had promised the party delegation to discuss the matter with the Centre within 24 hours.
He also noted, “I have heard that the governor has already left for Delhi. So, as a gesture of courtesy, we have decided to withdraw this sit-in for the time being,”
“We will wait until October 31 for a satisfactory reply from the Centre, or else we will start another agitation from November 1, under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee,” he said.
In a veiled warning, he claimed that the five-day sit-in was just a trailer and the full movie is yet to be released.
Earlier in the evening, a 30-member TMC delegation met with the governor at Raj Bhavan to discuss the non-payment of wages to MGNREGA job card holders in the state.
“The delegation submitted a memorandum on MGNREGA. The governor gave a patient hearing and said the matter will be brought to the notice of the government of India, and whatever is required for the welfare of the people of Bengal will be done,” the Raj Bhavan official stated.
The TMC, in its memorandum to the Governor, said, “Your Excellency, as the constitutional head of the state, it is your solemn responsibility to help resolve the long-pending issue of non-payment of wages to more than 21 lakh deprived men and women of Bengal who have earned an honest living.”
The party also raised concerns about the reasons for withholding wages for the past two years and emphasised that Bose must safeguard the interests of both the state and its people.
Banerjee asserted that the governor was convinced of the legitimacy of the state’s demands, expressing alignment with these demands and pledging to pursue the matter with the Union government.
Banerjee initiated the sit-in on Thursday, following a substantial gathering of party members and top leadership marching to the historic British-era building to protest against the alleged withholding of West Bengal’s MGNREGA dues by the Centre.
The party had demanded that the sit-in continue until the Governor, who was then touring flood-affected north Bengal and subsequently left for Delhi, met the delegation.
The TMC’s decision to withdraw the sit-in was criticized by the opposition BJP, which labelled it as an attempt to jeopardise the Governor’s security.
“The Centre has stopped funds as there have been discrepancies and corruption at various levels. Now the TMC’s drama in New Delhi and the sit-in here were just a drama and an attempt to jeopardise the security of the Governor,” said BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
Banerjee, along with TMC MLAs, MPs, ministers, and MGNREGA workers, recently protested at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and headed to the Rural Development Ministry at Krishi Bhawan to meet Jyoti, but they claimed that after waiting for about an hour and a half, the minister declined to meet them and limited their delegation to five members.
The CPI (M), however, dubbed the entire episode as a “drama” scripted by both the BJP and the TMC.
“This is a script by the TMC and the BJP to change the political narrative of Bengal. It has helped both the BJP and Abhishek Banerjee gain political prominence,” said CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Marziya Sharif | 
