After Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections, West Bengal Governer Jagdeep Dhankar has put himself in fresh controversy after seeking financial involvement in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s project — Maa Canteen. The state government has also allocated Rs 100 crore to provide food at the subsidised rates to the poor, particularly during the lockdown.
In a letter to Principal Secretary of the state’s finance department, the Governor sought the details of the financial involvement in Maa Canteen Project.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Dhankhar said: “Noticing unconstitutional diversion of funds for #MAA Scheme @MamataOfficial till March 31, 2021, WB Governor has sought from Finance Secretary source and amount spent in #MAA till March 31, 2021. Another revelation @DrAmitMitra. His Silence in #BGBS Report Card indicates there is all to hide.”
In his letter written to the state finance department, the governor wrote: “On February 5, 2021, Amit Mitra as then minister in-charge, finance department, made a budget statement for the year 2021-2022 which was tabled by the Hon’ble Chief Minister in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
“SI No. 18 in the budget statement is thus: ‘Common kitchen under ‘Maa’ scheme (cooked food). In addition, to ensure that poor people get two square meals a day, a new scheme called ‘Maa’ will be launched under which common kitchen will be opened at different places from where cooked food at nominal price will be served, I propose to allocate Rs 100 crore for the next financial year’.
“It emanates firmly from the aforesaid that the common kitchen under ‘Maa’ scheme was by way of a new scheme and allocation of Rs 100 crore for the next financial year was proposed. Thus, this new scheme was to be operationalised for the period from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 with an annual allocation of Rs 100 crore. This appropriation was similarly affected in terms of constitutional prescriptions.”
Governor also shared following information-
1) The amount spent on the scheme ‘Maa’ during FY ending 31.3.2021
2) The source of funding of the same, and the authority sanctioning such fund
“Information to this effect may be sought from the Principal Secretary, Finance Department, at the earliest, not later than a week from today,” Dhankhar said.
