Kolkata, Oct 9: The TMC on Monday met West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose at the Raj Bhavan here and urged him to fulfill his “solemn responsibility” by addressing the issue of MGNREGA dues to the state.
Bose assured a Trinamool Congress delegation led by party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee that he will take up the matter with the Centre, an official said.
Shortly after the development, Banerjee announced that his party has withdrawn the five-day-long sit-in over the MGNREGA issue outside the Raj Bhavan.
The TMC MP, however, said if there is no satisfactory reply on the status of “non-payment” of MGNREGA wages within October 31, the party would launch a fresh agitation from November 1 under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“We are withdrawing the sit-in outside Raj Bhavan for the time being. We have told the governor to let us know within two weeks (on the MGNREGA issue),” Banerjee said.
The TMC leader also said the governor has promised the party delegation that he would discuss the matter with the Centre within 24 hours.
“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 till October 31 for a satisfactory reply from the Centre, or else we will start another agitation from November 1,” he said.
The appeal by West Bengal’s ruling party and the assurance by the governor came during a 20-minute meeting between Bose and the 30-member TMC delegation.
The official said that the delegation headed by Abhishek Banerjee called on the governor at the Raj Bhavan at 4 pm and submitted a memorandum on the MGNREGA issue.
The governor gave a patient hearing and said the matter will be brought to the notice of the Union government, and whatever is required for the welfare of the people of Bengal will be done, he said.
The party in its memorandum to Bose said, “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.” “We look to you, as the governor of this state, to safeguard the interests of both the state and its people. Over the last two years, our sustained efforts to reach out to all levels of the Union government to recover the funds owed by it have been met with zero action and ‘Zamindari Culture’,” it stated. (PTI)
