Kolkata, April 15 -- Senior BJP leader Smriti Irani on Wednesday attacked the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging large-scale corruption, financial mismanagement and failure to ensure women's safety, while promising a monthly cash support of Rs 3,000 for every woman if the saffron party is voted to power in the state.
Addressing a press conference after launching the 'Matri Shakti Bharosa Card', Irani claimed that despite substantial central assistance, the state continues to suffer from what she termed a "cut-money culture."
The Matri Shakti Bhorosa Card is an initiative by the BJP in West Bengal to provide direct financial assistance of Rs 3,000 per month to women. It is designed as a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme aimed at empowering women, with the cards used to enrol beneficiaries for this monthly support if the party wins the state election. Responding to TMC allegations of the Centre withholding the state's funds, she claimed West Bengal received Rs 7.24 lakh crore in tax devolution and around Rs 3 lakh crore in grants-in-aid between 2014 and 2026, apart from Rs 24,000 crore in interest-free loans for capital expenditure.
Questioning the utilisation of funds, she alleged irregularities in welfare schemes, including the existence of "25 lakh fake job cards" under MGNREGA. "Who took that money? Why was cash recovered from the homes of TMC ministers?" she asked.
Targeting the Mamata Banerjee-led government, the former Union minister also flagged concerns over law and order and women's safety, citing incidents of violence and alleging intimidation of victims and their families in high-profile cases, including the RG Kar hospital incident. Highlighting the BJP's 'Sankalp Patra', she said the party has promised Rs 3,000 per month for all women, Rs 21,000 assistance for pregnant women, creation of 75 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis', 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.