Mamata to meet PM Modi today amid tug of war over Bengal’s pending dues

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday over pending dues to the state. The meeting between the Chief Minister and Prime Minister Modi comes amid an ongoing tussle over alleged withholding of Central funds to the state. Ahead of her departure for New Delhi on Sunday, Banerjee accused the Centre of stopping all funds for Bengal, including the one for housing programme Banglar Bari. “They have stopped the rural roads programme. Even though it is a Central government scheme, the entire cost is not borne by the Centre. It is done jointly by the state and Centre. Whatever money they collect from here, we have a share, as there is only one tax, which is the GST,” Mamata Banerjee added. The Centre, she said, has stopped the health department funds as well. “They say we have to paint everything saffron. They have painted all the metro stations saffron. Near Sukna they have painted all the buildings saffron. They are telling us every health centre has to be painted saffron. Why should we paint it saffron? We have a state brand which is white and blue, and it is not the party colour,” Mamata Banerjee said. “Do we have to put up BJP logos everywhere? And paint it in BJP colour? Will people have no independence? They will decide what people will eat. They will decide what people will wear. They will insert whatever they want in the syllabus,” the Chief Minister added. The Trinamool Congress had launched an agitation earlier this year over the issue of pending dues and the Bengal CM is likely to be accompanied by the party’s National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee during her meeting with the Prime Minister. A Member of Parliament from Diamond Harbour, Abhishek Banerjee had led a protest in New Delhi on the issue in October leading to a massive showdown with the Delhi Police. Several Trinamool MPs, MLAs and leaders were manhandled and removed from the protest at the time. Abhishek Banerjee also accompanied the Bengal CM to the INDIA alliance meeting a day earlier.