West Bengal’s opposition leader, Suvendu Adhikari, has announced that he will urge the Centre to cut off funds to West Bengal if the state government does not rename the central fishery scheme. Speaking at a public meeting in Panskura, Suvendu argued that the fishery scheme was originally conceived by the central government and funded by tax payers in the country, and hence, it is unacceptable to use the name given by the state government. Given that the central government is funding the project, the name of the scheme should be decided by the Centre itself, according to Suvendu.
The opposition leader has stated that he will ask the Centre to stop the funds if the state government refuses to comply with the renaming request. Suvendu further added that the state government has renamed several centrally-sponsored schemes in the past, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Poschim Bongo Kshestra Kalyan Yojana, to name a few.
The current scheme is aimed at providing fishery loans to fishermen, fish farmers, and those involved in fish marketing. It was launched last year as part of the Centre’s efforts to double the income of farmers and fishermen by 2022.
Suvendu’s statement has sparked controversies with the TMC, the ruling party in West Bengal. TMC’s leader Sougata Roy has criticised Suvendu for attempting to stop the funds that are meant for the people of the state. The TMC has also accused Suvendu of pursuing a political agenda and trying to gain attention through such statements.
The renaming controversy comes amidst the ongoing political situation in West Bengal as the Assembly elections are approaching. Both TMC and the opposition parties are aggressively campaigning and trying to gain the support of the public. Suvendu’s statement is seen as an attempt to show that the opposition parties are proactive in raising the people’s issues, including the naming of schemes.
The renaming issue has been taken up by the opposition parties in the past as well. In 2018, the TMC-led state government had renamed the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme as Swasthya Sathi, citing that the scheme had additional benefits for the people of West Bengal. However, the Centre had refused to accept the state government’s decision and had urged the state to implement the scheme under its original name.
In conclusion, Suvendu’s statement about renaming the fishery scheme has created a stir in West Bengal, with TMC accusing the opposition of politicising the matter. It remains to be seen how the Centre will react to Suvendu’s request and whether the state government will agree to change the name of the scheme.