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The state BJP, though, has attacked the Chief Minister, saying that she has ‘left Bengalis jobless and penniless’
By presenting the ‘Unnayaner Panchali’, the Chief Minister aimed to underscore that the state never ‘drifted from its development path’ despite the financial blockade. File pic/PTI
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a dual attack on the Central Government while simultaneously releasing a comprehensive report card, titled “Unnayaner Panchali” (Narrative of Development), detailing the achievements of her Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration since it took power in 2011. The core of her criticism revolved around the Centre’s alleged continuous and deliberate withholding of West Bengal’s long-pending financial dues, which she claimed was an attempt to cripple the state financially.
Speaking at the state secretariat, Nabanna, Banerjee claimed that the Central Government has withheld a massive total of Rs 1.87 lakh crore in state dues. These blocked funds pertain to crucial centrally sponsored schemes aimed at rural upliftment, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), rural housing under the PM Awaas Yojana, and village road construction. She pointed out that West Bengal had consistently topped the country in performance indicators for MGNREGA and rural housing four times in a row before the Central Government froze the allocations, citing alleged corruption in implementation.
The timing of the report card release is highly significant, coming barely months ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in the state. By presenting the “Unnayaner Panchali”, the Chief Minister aimed to underscore that the state never “drifted from its development path” despite the financial blockade. She asserted that the state government successfully launched its own schemes to fill the funding gap created by the Centre’s cuts, using its own resources to continue key projects.
The report card highlights a number of key achievements over the 14-year rule, focusing heavily on social welfare and employment:
Employment Generation: Banerjee claimed that her government has generated over two crore jobs in the state since 2011, with an additional target of one crore jobs in the future.
Welfare Schemes: She championed the success of schemes like the Lakshmir Bhandar social security programme, under which over 2.2 crore women receive monthly assistance. She contrasted this with the BJP-led government in Bihar, which she alleged offered only a one-time fund. Furthermore, she noted the state has spent over Rs 1 lakh crore on the Khadya Sathi food security scheme, covering over nine crore people.
Infrastructure and Health: The Chief Minister noted that the state has enhanced budgetary allocation in the health sector by six times in the last 14 years and has made significant progress in drinking water access, providing connections to 99 lakh additional families.
The state BJP, though, has attacked the Trinamool Congress leader, saying that she has “left Bengalis jobless and penniless”.
.@MamataOfficial you had promised to make West Bengal no 1 in job production.Where is that promise?
Rather 25000+ jobs are gone due to your corruption⚠️
Your regime is responsible for making Bengali youth leave their homes and go to other states even for basic jobs!
Now the… pic.twitter.com/NNJbx1wlTT
— BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) December 2, 2025
Overall, Banerjee’s message was clear: despite the alleged financial stepmotherly treatment and attempts to “starve Bengal financially” by withholding funds for schemes like MGNREGS, her administration’s commitment to social security and development remains unwavering, positioning West Bengal as a model for the rest of India.
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