'TMC will organise sit-in in New Delhi to press for demand to clear dues'

Senior Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee said the party will organise a sit-in in New Delhi to press for the demand to clear financial dues of the state.

Addressing a panchayat election rally in Nadia district on Tuesday, Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, said the BJP government has stopped giving funds under the MGNREGA scheme which has 11.36 lakh beneficiaries in the state.

"The BJP-led Centre has halted funds under Awas Yojana and 100-day work scheme. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request him to release the funds. Following this, the TMC MPs met Union Minister Giriraj Singh to request the same, but nothing moved forward," he said.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA) aims to enhance the livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year.

Banerjee said the only way left was to go to Delhi and fight for the rights of the state's poor people.

"We will go to Delhi and stage a sit-in in front of the Krishi Bhavan demanding justice for our people," he said.

The two-time TMC MP said the Bengal BJP leaders are writing to the "Centre requesting it to hold the state funds" instead of advocating to release the dues.