Trinamool vs BJP Over Rs 100-Crore School Lunch Corruption Charge

An intensifying feud between the West Bengal government of the Trinamool Congress and the BJP-led centre has now spawned accusations involving the free lunch for students at government schools.

The Trinamool has vehemently rejected allegations made by the BJP about corruption in the Cooked-Midday Meal scheme in the state. The BJP had accused the scheme of over-reporting midday meals worth over Rs 100 crore.

The BJP based its allegations on a report by the Joint Review Mission into the scheme, which is called PM Poshan by the Centre. However, the Trinamool has dismissed the allegations, claiming that the Joint Review Mission has not followed procedure and has been politically motivated in its functioning.

The Joint Review Mission typically comprises representatives from the state and Centre to review the implementation of a scheme. According to the Trinamool, the state government representative's inputs were not considered in the report.

The Ministry of Education had established a Joint Review Mission to review the implementation of the centrally sponsored scheme, Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) in West Bengal in January. However, the state government has alleged that the report was submitted without informing the Project Director.

West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu has tweeted, "Joint Review Mission is integral to any jointly sponsored scheme of the central and state governments, having representatives from both. The 13th JRM visited the Cooked Mid-day Meal Scheme (CMDM) during the last week of January and the first week of February 2023 in the schools across the length and breadth of the state. They have now submitted their report without even informing the Project Director, CMDM, who was the state representative in the team, let alone getting his signature on the report."

The Trinamool has accused the BJP of using allegations of corruption to withhold legitimate funds owed to the state under various schemes, thereby depriving the people of West Bengal of their rights and a fair share of benefits from welfare schemes. The BJP, on the other hand, argues that rampant corruption justifies withholding funds.

The two parties have been embroiled in a political tussle over the names of schemes and credit for their impact, which is a contentious issue during elections as political parties seek votes based on the impact of these schemes.