PM’s Photo Not Displayed At Ration Shops: Centre Withholds Rs 7,000 Cr Funds To West Bengal

By OB Bureau On Jan 20, 2024

New Delhi: The Centre has decided to withhold the release of Rs 7,000 crore to the West Bengal government to procure paddy for the centre’s schemes. The reason is that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government has yet to put up signboards and flexes with the National Food Security Act (NFSA) logo and photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at all ration shops across the state despite repeated reminders.

According to state government officials, the Centre’s refusal to reimburse the sum could leave a serious impact on paddy collection in the state in the ongoing financial year, The New Indian Express reported.

“The state government has already procured 8.52 lakh tonnes for the NFSA schemes in this financial year for the central pool. It has procured 22 lakh tonnes of paddy, including the volume for the central pool, against its annual target of 70 lakh tonnes this year. But the state government is yet to be reimbursed for paddy it procured on behalf of the Centre.

The freezing of the Centre’s reimbursement will have an immediate impact on paddy procurement in the ongoing Kharif season,” said a state government official was quoted as saying. The report quoted sources in the state government as saying that the state has set a target of procuring 80 per cent of its annual target of 70 lakh tonnes in the kharif season.

Procurement for the Kharif season continues till February-end. “If the state does not get enough fund during this window, the entire process will be hit,” another official was quoted as saying.