Kolkata: With the World Cup ODI semi-finals falling on the same date, the November 16 mega meeting of the ruling Trinamool Congress at Netaji Indoor Stadium to chart out its next course of agitation against pending central dues under MGNREGA scheme has been rescheduled.
According to a statement issued by the party, the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will now be held on the same venue on November 23.
While speaking to the media persons on November 1, the Chief Minister had announced that there will be a meeting of the all panchayat representatives of the party at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on November 16.
The blueprint for the party’s next line of agitation on non-payment of MGNREGA dues will be finalised at the meeting only, she added.
However, within 36 hours from that announcement a statement was issued by the party notifying the postponing of the meeting to November 23.
“Owing to the World Cup semi-finals that falls on the same day, the meeting is being rescheduled. The meeting will now be held on November 23, 2023 (Thursday) at Netaji Indoor Stadium,” the statement read.
On Tuesday, the Chief Minister issued a statement accusing the Union government of spreading misinformation about funds released under the MGNREGA scheme.
She also accused the Centre of deliberately spreading such misinformation to mislead the people of West Bengal as well as to malign the state government.
The pending MGNREGA dues have been a contentious issue between the Centre and the West Bengal government for quite some time now.
In fact, a Trinamool delegation led by the party’s national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee had staged a dharna at the office of the Union Minister of State for Rural Development recently demanding immediate release of funds under the scheme.
Abhishek Banerjee also staged a dharna in front of the Governor’s House in Kolkata before Durga Puja on the same issue.
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