Kolkata, 18 December (H.S.) : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticized the central government, announcing that the state’s rural employment guarantee scheme will be renamed after Mahatma Gandhi. She accused the BJP-led Centre of attempting to remove the Father of the Nation’s name by replacing the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the new Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill.

Addressing a business and industry conclave in Kolkata, Banerjee said that if certain political parties fail to show respect to national symbols, her government would take responsibility. Referring to the recent passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill in the Lok Sabha, she expressed her dismay over what she described as the nation moving towards forgetting Mahatma Gandhi.

The Chief Minister announced that the state’s ‘Karmashree’ scheme will now be named after Mahatma Gandhi. Under the scheme, the state government is currently providing beneficiaries with up to 75 days of work using its own resources, despite the Centre withholding funds under MGNREGA. Banerjee also said the government aims to increase the number of workdays under ‘Karmashree’ to 100 in the future.

She made it clear that even if central funding is blocked, the state government will ensure employment for the people. “We are not beggars; we will continue generating employment through our own efforts,” the Chief Minister said.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh