Anubhuti Dutta
(anubhuti@praddictability.com)
Mamata Banerjee kick-started the Meghalaya election campaign with her anti-BJP agenda, which primarily seems to be "her run-up" to the Lok Sabha election slated to be held in the year 2024. She's long been yearning to occupy the hot seat in Delhi and Meghalaya might as well end up towards being a meagre pawn towards her much-awaited ambition.
As she's put-up lofty claims for the good work her government has done in the State of West Bengal, let us put forth some significant data which would give us a fair idea as to how miserably they have failed in the last 11 years.
Joblessness and unemployment in West Bengal:
The government of West Bengal claims that they have created 10 million jobs, but as per the data available, the State Employment Exchange reportedly has nearly 3.5 million jobseekers registered. Besides 2 lakh permanent jobs across various government departments, 1.5 lakh of various teaching posts lie vacant. Around 1.3 million applicants for clerical jobs are anxiously waiting for their maiden call since the year 2018, while 6 lakh applicants for the post of sub-inspectors and inspectors are still in the "never-ending waiting queue."
West Bengal has the second highest number of women job seekers as per Employment Exchange data available till the year 2020 – 24.6 lakh more than Meghalaya's total women population.
One of the largest numbers of jobseekers on live register during the year 2019 was in West Bengal (77.6 lakh) - as per data available from Employment Exchange.
It would be apt to mention in this context that there's been rampant corruption across various ranks of the government which is slowly getting unearthed, putting millions of aspiring lives in jeopardy.
To add more woes for the people of the State, the Mamata Banerjee-led government has a debt burden of Rs 4.31 lakh crore and over Rs 55,000 crore have been spent on debt servicing in 2019-20.
Educated Unemployed:
Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Minister of current ruling dispensation in West Bengal, recently sparked outrage when he made a statement that students who have passed secondary examinations are 'educated unemployed'. Nearly 12 lakh students appeared for the 10th board examination and 86 per cent of them attained success. As per his version, all these students would unfortunately be considered 'educated unemployed'.
Crisis for Unemployed Women:
A burning example of the unemployment crisis - about 40 undergraduate and postgraduate students had to undergo a training camp organized by te Malda Employment Centre to become household helps or maids. This pathetically marks the plight of the employment scenario in West Bengal.
Unsuccessful unemployment schemes:
The much-publicized student credit card scheme has miserably failed. Out of 1.12 lakhs applicants, only 0.37 got these credit cards. The West Bengal government describes the scheme as a collateral-free loan scheme, but on the contrary under the existing norms, a bank can demand collateral security if the loan amount is Rs 4 lakhs or above.
Lack of Livelihood Opportunity - Migrant Bengal Workers:
A recent report has pegged workers' outstanding dues at Rs 2,744 crore for work done since December 26, 2021. The impasse caused a drop in the number of households who purely relied on the livelihood supporting scheme – from 77 lakh during the Covid years to 16 lakh this fiscal year. The resultant factor of "much more than usual migration" is proving to be a significant concern for the party as the next rural polls are due in a matter of months
The Trinamool Congress chairperson stated during her Meghalaya election campaign on January 18 that her party can give better governance and help achieve the dreams of the youth, the students, and the women in Meghalaya. She claimed that similar to her government's 'Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme' for the women of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress will provide Rs 1,000 to women in every family in Meghalaya once it is voted to power:
It is to be noted that the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme has budget allocation of 13,000 crore annually and, significantly, the West Bengal government is paying between Rs 80,000-Rs 90,000 crore as debt repayment and interest to its lenders every year. Effectively, every citizen of Bengal has to pay astoundingly Rs 8,000 as debt every year. Many Trinamool Congress MLAs have expressed their dissatisfaction that developmental work in their constituencies have taken a back seat due to paucity of funds.
During her last visit to the state in December, Mamata Banerjee had launched the WE Card Scheme and MYE scheme promising financial assistance to the women and youth of Meghalaya. The registration process is much flawed, with I-PAC led agents running across the state to register people, while though automated bots registration is spiked. These schemes would cost Rs.2,000 crore to exchequer, about 50 per cent of the state's expenditure, leading to severe crunch in development work, food grain distribution and salary payment of government officers. A senior official from the Finance Department said on the condition of anonymity that such dole distribution would lead to "never seen cash crunch". The only option for the Government would be to stop pensions and salary payments.
Post Mamata Banerjee's visit in December, there has been changes in the political eco-system with several workers leaving the Trinamool Congress showing discontent on I-PACs way of working. I-PAC seems to be the driving lead which catapults the failure of Mukul Sangma, as he's seemingly given up the leadership to Abhishek Banerjee, general secretary of Trinamool Congress.
Mamata has asked: "What has this government done in the past five years? We challenge them to show their report card on what they did in the past five years. Why is it that after so many years, electricity hasn't reached Meghalaya? Why is the younger generation not getting any employment opportunities"? It seems that the Trinamool Congress supremo was not briefed that a week back the NPP has already published a detailed report card. It is quite obvious that she is not aware of the real issues that the state faces and wants to bring West Bengal schemes and practices to Meghalaya.
Abhishek Banerjee on this occasion said: "Looking at the love, appreciation, and enthusiasm of the people, I can say that NPP will not be able to win a single assembly seat from Garo Hills". He also said that "this meeting will be the death knell for the corrupt NPP-MDA government". Abhishek Banerjee asserted that if voted to power, the people of the soil would run the government in Meghalaya, unlike those leaders who run governments from the ivory towers of Guwahati and Delhi. He also appealed to people to ensure that as the sun rises in the east, the future of India should also rise from the North-Eastern region.
It must be noted that this is his second visit to the Garo Hills, and he has spent less than a couple of days. Such bold statements seem to be directed towards motivating Trinamool Congress workers only. It would be apt to mention that his MBA degree has been challenged by multiple political Opposition leaders, which seems to be from a non-recognized, scam-ridden institute. He has been allegedly involved in a multi-crore-rupee coal scam along with his wife and sister-in-law.
Mamata Banerjee also stated: "Why should a de-facto Prime Minister from Guwahati run the entire North-Eastern region? People must commit that this time, no matter what proposals come from MDA and BJP, they will not bow their heads to anyone. This time, they will restore the pride and glory for the future of the younger generation of Meghalaya, for women empowerment, for farmers, for media, and for all people irrespective of their caste, community, and creed". It is to be noted that as per claims from Trinamool Congress, people of Meghalaya would lead the state which apparently boils down to Dr Mukul Sangma and team. But these are the same set of people who had been there on the driving seat for more than eight years before MDA government took over. A transformative change through I-PAC can only be theoretical but not implementable.
Leader of Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma had a chance to speak on the Assam-Meghalaya border issue that he had raised. In his brief speech, Dr Mukul Sangma played West Bengal Trinamool Congress' anti-BJP agenda card but forgot that his actual opposition is NPP. His example of TMC's win over BJP in West Bengal also resonated with his party supremo's anti-Modi drive, but lacked conviction on the issues that would impact Meghalaya.