Kolkata, Dec 8 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Monday accused West Bengal's TMC government of launching a "state-sponsored publicity blitz" over various projects to counter rising anti-incumbency, and warned contractors that a "future BJP administration" will not pay for illegal or dubious constructions.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Adhikari alleged that a recent notification issued by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant has directed district magistrates and BDOs to aggressively publicise road and housing projects, drinking water supply and the 'Amar Para, Amar Samadhan' scheme, "whether the work is completed or not".
Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, claimed that tenders worth Rs 7,000 crore covering 9,114 schemes have been floated in recent months, while only about 10 per cent of the funds have been released.
"Contractors are being forced to execute the work without getting paid. I want to clearly warn them that a future BJP government will not be responsible for payments linked to illegal or dubious constructions," he said.
Adhikari further alleged that officials have been instructed to conduct high-pitched campaigns using leaflets, microphones and photographs of the chief minister to showcase 15 years of the Trinamool Congress government's development narrative, along with foundation-laying ceremonies followed by mandatory gram panchayat-level meetings.
He claimed that each such meeting has been fixed at a minimum attendance of 500 people, with the presence of TMC representatives, government officials and political strategists, and that at least 50 per cent of the audience must be women.
"The administration has been converted into a political campaign machinery," he alleged.
On central welfare schemes, Adhikari said the Narendra Modi government has sanctioned nearly 40 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in West Bengal at around Rs 30,000 crore, besides 72 lakh toilets and Rs 8,000 crore for the 'Har Ghar Nal Se Jal' mission, but claimed that beneficiaries in the state are yet to receive these benefits.
"People should ask why they have not got their houses, toilets and drinking water connections, and why schools are running without adequate teachers," he said.
The BJP leader also alleged large-scale irregularities in the implementation of the MGNREGS scheme, claiming that after Aadhaar authentication was made mandatory, only 1,60,97,695 out of 2,56,38,503 job cards in the state have been verified, which works out to just 62.9 per cent, the lowest in the country.
"The remaining cards are proof of fake and irregular beneficiaries who have siphoned off thousands of crores of rupees over the years. A detailed list will be released soon," he claimed.
Adhikari praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent speech marking the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram' and accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of deliberately insulting the national song by directing schools to stop singing it in favour of a state anthem.
"By branding Vande Mataram as communal, she has insulted Rishi Bankimchandra, Maa Durga, Bharat Mata and the cultural ethos of Bengal," he alleged.
On the organisational front, Adhikari said the BJP is rapidly strengthening its grassroots network under state president Samik Bhattacharya, with scrutiny committees formed at booth, mandal and district levels for vetting primary membership.
"Our target is to raise the BJP's vote share in Bengal from 39 per cent to 51 per cent and add 50 lakh new votes to bring real change in the state," Adhikari said.