Speaking at an administrative review programme at Santragachi in Howrah district, Banerjee said, “Nothing was done despite telling the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) several times (to clear the pending funds to West Bengal). Around Rs 1.16 lakh crore is due to us (West Bengal). Those who have worked under the 100 days’ scheme haven’t received their wages for the last three years. There are 21 lakh job cardholders who did not get money. The central government did not release the funds. We have started transferring the money to their accounts.”

Referring to her party’s protest programmes under the leadership of general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the TMC chief said, “Workers, MPs, MLAs, and block presidents all went to New Delhi (in December) despite trains being cancelled. They went there by bus under the leadership of Abhishek. I had earlier staged a dharna for 48 hours and met the PM for this more than once.”

She also mentioned plans to make another announcement regarding unreleased funds for the Awas Yojana.

Banerjee recently staged a 48-hour dharna in Kolkata demanding the release of dues to the state.

“West Bengal was the number one state in the county in terms of MGNREGA work. We were at the top and that’s why the Centre stopped releasing funds. They stopped the project in Bengal. We were the top-performing state in constructing rural roads. But such projects have been stopped for Bengal. In the clean drinking water project, we spend 75 per cent of the cost for the project, while the Centre bears 25 per cent of the cost. But they make tall claims that they have done everything,” said the chief minister. —With PTI