Data on migrants sent to Centre\, Sitharaman should apologise: Bengal FM

Data on migrants sent to Centre, Sitharaman should apologise: Bengal FM

Amit Mishra said, "the required data were sent to the central government on the same day. Complete data on migrant labourers were also sent to them. How can the Union Finance Minister say such a big lie?

By: Express News Service | Kolkata | Updated: June 30, 2020 11:41:44 am
West Bengal Amit Mitra, Amit Mitra on GST, Goods and Services Tax, GST collection, Indian express West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra. (File)

State Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Monday countered Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying the West Bengal government had sent the required data for Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana and sought her public apology for saying otherwise.

Mitra’s reaction came a day after Sitharaman accused the state government of not providing any data on migrant labourers, following which Bengal was not made a beneficiary of the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan.

Speaking to mediapersons on an online platform, Mitra said: “No district from the state figures in Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana. According to Sitharaman, our state did not provide any data on this. On June 23, we received a letter from the Centre’s Panchayat Raj Department asking us to provide district-wise data on how many migrant labourers have returned to the state. By 7 pm that day, district-wise data on this were sent. On June 25, another letter from the Centre came asking for block-level data on the same. The required data were sent to the central government on the same day. Complete data on migrant labourers were also sent to them. How can the Union Finance Minister say such a big lie?”

Addressing a virtual rally for the people of West Bengal on Sunday, Sitharaman had said, “The West Bengal government has been opposing all pro-people policies of the central government. Six states have shared data on migrant workers, following their return. West Bengal, however, did not share the data. Our prime minister launched a scheme, which covers 116 districts in the country. However, no district from Bengal could be included as the TMC government didn’t bother to share any data with us.”

Targeting Sitharaman for her statements, Mitra described them as “politically motivated action”.

“Was she not aware of the development (state sending data)?… It is a politically motivated action to say there was no data from the state government… We have the letters, which was sent to the Centre. She must bring out those letters and tender public apology.”