Centre Withholds ₹7,000 Crore Funds To West Bengal As It Refuse To Put PM's Photos At Ration Shops (image: twitter.com/GermanyinIndia)

The Centre government has decided to withhold the release of Rs. 7000 crore to the West Bengal government referring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government has not put up the NFSA logo at ration shops. The sum is required for the state to procure paddy for the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

The Centre has repeatedly asked the West Bengal government to put up signboards and flexes with the NFSA logo and photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at all ration shops.

The state government officers reported that Centre”s refusal to release the amount could pose serious impact on paddy collection on the West Bengal in the current financial year.

“The state has already procured 8.52 lakh tonnes of paddy for the NFSA in this financial year for the central pool (to run central schemes) . . . . But the Centre has refused to reimburse the sum saying the state did not follow central guidelines. This could leave a serious impact on paddy procurement in Bengal in the ongoing financial year,” The Telegraph quotes as a state government official is saying.

The state has acquired 22 lakh tonnes of paddy, including 8.52 lakh tonnes for the central pool against its annual target of 70 lakh tonnes this year.

“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 Kharif season continues till February-end. If the state does not get enough funds during this window, the entire process will be hit,” The Telegraph quotes as a senior governmental official is saying.

Sources in the state government has told that with the available funds, the state can carry on with the paddy procurement for another seven to 10 days, after that the entire process would be affected and it might require new sum to continue.

(With inputs from The Telegraph)