The NCC said that the Bengal government had not given its share of the money, despite constant efforts and letters at different levels. A letter from a senior official to the Defense Ministry says that the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in West Bengal has stopped taking in new cadets and put a hold on training for current ones because the state government hasn’t paid its bills.
In a letter to the Defense Ministry in Delhi on October 7, Major General U S Sengupta, the additional director general of the NCC’s Bengal and Sikkim directorate, said that the Bengal government did not release its part for 2022–2023. The letter appeared on social media on Wednesday, which set off a brawl between the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the state’s current government, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its chief rival. Several BJP leaders shared the photographs of the letter.
The Bengal government did not release the money “despite repeated efforts and correspondence at all levels, liaison with the finance secretary, and bringing the matter to the attention of the chief secretary,” said the letter, which did not say how much money was involved.
HT has seen the letter’s copy. Bengal has 95,120 NCC cadets, but 41,068 of them can’t go to the central annual training camps. This means they won’t be able to take the NCC B and C certificate exams.
The letter stated that “enrollment of cadets for this year is being suspended” and continued, “As on date, we cannot train even the already enrolled cadets.” The local government handles 25% of the NCC’s annual budget for that state while the federal government contributes 75% of the cash, according to Major B B Singh, spokesperson for the NCC directorate in Bengal. “Up to this point, the Bengali government has released 80 lakh. 3 crores is still pending. Without this fund, declared Major Singh.
Suvendu Adhikari, the head of the opposition in the Bengal legislative assembly, claimed that the government was spending money on celebrations rather than focusing on issues.
“The Mamata Banerjee administration is primarily concerned with funding Durga Puja and other celebrations.
According to Adhikari, it would soon run out of money to pay the salaries of its staff. The finance minister, Chandrima Bhattacharya, denied the charge.
“On October 21, we distributed 20 lakh, and we will also disperse the remaining funds.
However, we also need to look into how the funds are being used.
Those who criticise us should ask the Centre why it no longer provides funds for social welfare programmes on behalf of the state, according to Bhattacharya.