Kolkata, Jun 02, 2023, IANS

Kolkata, June 2 (IANS) The fresh notification from the Union Ministry of Rural Development sanctioning the inclusion of "new eligible beneficiaries" under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) will open up another floodgate of corruption in West Bengal, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said on Friday.

Pointing out that the state's panchayat andrural development department has asked the district magistrates to conduct a physical verification process to mark each person on the waitlist as either "eligible" or "not eligible", Adhikari claimed that this would be the last chance for the ruling Trinamool Congree to loot public money before the ensuing panchayat polls.

Adhikari has claimed that with the panchayats carrying out the verification process, three probable scenarios could be envisaged.

"The first is that a huge amount of cut money will be collected from the persons who are on the waitlist. In this process those who are actually 'eligible' will be marked as 'not eligible'. Secondly the relatives, friends and associates of Trinamool Congress leaders and workers would be at an advantage. They would be marked as 'eligible' even if they don't fit the criteria of selection, by manipulating the documents unethically," he alleged.

According to Adhikari, the verification process would be a tool to influence the voters ahead of the panchayat elections and political loyalty would be sought in exchange of selection as beneficiary.

He further alleged that there has been a drought for quite some time now, in regards to the flow of the illicit income of the panchayat level Trinamool Congress leaders.

"The Union Ministry of Rural Development has tightened the screws in Awas Yojana & MGNREGA. Unfortunately for the Trinamool Congress leaders, the last couple of cyclones like Mocha drifted its path and didn't make a landfall in West Bengal. So they could not siphon the relief funds and steal the relief materials. This is their last chance to loot before the tenure of the panchayats end in August," Adhikari added.