In a sharp political attack, West Bengal's Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, has publicly contested Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent assertions regarding poverty alleviation and employment generation in the state. The confrontation, which took place on Tuesday, saw Adhikari demanding concrete proof for the claims made by the ruling Trinamool Congress government.
Questioning the Poverty Reduction Narrative
Adhikari directly challenged the Chief Minister's statement that 1.7 crore people in West Bengal were brought above the poverty line between 2011 and 2023. He argued that the true picture of poverty in the state would be exposed if the central government's Prime Minister's Anna Suraksha Yojana, which provides free rice and wheat, was discontinued in Bengal. This, he implied, would reveal the extent of dependency on food security schemes.
Demanding Transparency on Employment Data
The BJP leader took particular aim at the government's employment statistics. He countered the CM's claim of a 40% reduction in unemployment by demanding that the state publicly release the names and details of all individuals who have supposedly gained employment. Adhikari presented a starkly different figure, alleging that while the preceding Left Front government left behind one crore unemployed people, the number has now ballooned to 2.1 crore under Trinamool rule.
He highlighted the stagnation in government recruitment, pointing out that the last Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exam was held in 2015 and the Public Service Commission (PSC) exam in 2017. "Since then, no recruitment has been done," Adhikari stated, adding that people have actually lost jobs during the current administration's tenure.
Allegations on Schemes and Agricultural Claims
Adhikari further questioned the closure of 51 employment exchange offices and the status of the 'Yubashree' scheme. He accused the CM of stopping the Rs 1,500 monthly stipend for the unemployed. On the agricultural front, while acknowledging the government's claim of a 9.6-fold increase in sectoral development, he asked why fertilizers were being sold in the black market. He also alleged that the state procured only 10 quintals of paddy per farmer against the promised 15 quintals under Minimum Support Price (MSP), and deprived farmers of benefits under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
Scrutiny on Industrial Investment MoUs
Turning to industrial development, the Leader of Opposition cast doubt on the outcomes of the Bengal Global Business Summits (BGBS). He claimed that from the first summit in 2012 to the most recent one, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 16 lakh crore were signed. Adhikari demanded a public list detailing where these proposed industries were actually established. Expressing skepticism, he said, "No employment will be created. Come elections, the same old record of Deucha Pachami and Tajpur sea port will be played. Nobody believes it anymore."
The strong rebuttal from the principal opposition leader sets the stage for a heated debate on governance and development metrics in West Bengal, with demands for greater transparency and accountability taking center stage.
