Key projects in West Bengal take a hit after Centre-Mamata oneupmanship

The Narendra Modi government's alleged failure to release adequate funds for repairing National Highways is the latest flashpoint in the protracted Centre-West Bengal tussle, severely impacting the country’s cooperative federalism.

The repair works for the landslide-prone NH 10 that connects West Bengal with Sikkim have been in limbo for months despite its strategic importance as a primary link to the India-China border in the Himalayan state.

Key highway cries for repairs

The 54-km stretch of the highway that passes through West Bengal was damaged in June this year due to heavy rainfall and landslide. The state PWD department that maintains the stretch sought Rs 27.05 crore from the highway and surface transport ministry for the repair work. But the Centre has sanctioned only Rs14.13 crore.

A senior PWD official said that due to the non-release of adequate funds, the damaged stretch of the road could not yet be made motorable for heavy vehicles. This is affecting the swift movement of security forces to the border.

Tussle over highway

The security aspect apparently became a victim of the Centre-state fight over the road's maintenance. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari wants the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd to take over the road from the West Bengal government’s PWD department, a move opposed by the state. State officials alleged that the Centre is hitting back by not supporting the PWD with its repair works.

Maintenance of highways that run through the state is the least priority of the Centre, said an official, pointing out that only Rs 6 crore has been allotted to the state by the Union ministry for “incurring expenditure on maintenance and repair of national highways” during 2024-25.

Centre-Bengal boxing

Steady funding reductions by the Centre are a recurring issue in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s communique with the Centre. In a June NITI Aayog meeting, Mamata claimed that her state was deprived of funds worth Rs 1.71 lakh crore.

The Centre refutes the figure. But there is no denying about the victimisation of the state in allocation of Central funds. There is a complete freeze in release of funds to the state for the MGNREGA scheme from December 2021. Flow of funds for awas yojana, rural roads, food subsidy and other Central schemes are either stopped or curtailed due to the ongoing Centre-state tussle.

Mamata hits back at Centre

There is but no one victim in this shadow fight with both sides engaging in one-upmanship.

If the BJP-led federal government is squeezing the flow of funds and using the governor's office to create economic hurdles for the state government, the latter is also equally uncooperative.

Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress government has been trying to get even with the Centre by not sparing IAS officers for central deputation, denying land for central projects, and overruling central schemes and policies, among other things.

Bengal’s unique anti-rape law

The anti-rape Aparajita Bill passed by the West Bengal Asembly earlier this month, for instance, is an attempt to override the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and is conflicting with the Central legislation. It will create inconsistency in rape laws effective in West Bengal and those in other states.

Questioning the intention of the Mamata's government to enact the law, a senior advocate of the Calcutta high court, Arindam Das, said it was aimed at political grandstanding against the Centre.

Such a competing approach has become almost a norm with the state government frequently either tweaking or refusing to implement the Central policies in the state.

Conflict over education

The state government’s decision to formulate its own education policy last year instead of following the Centre’s 2020 National Education Policy (NEP) is one such example of defiance.

It has also refused to participate in the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme, which is aimed at showcasing the NEP. The Centre in turn stopped funds to the state under its flagship Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) -- a school education programme.

The Centre further accused the West Bengal government of creating hurdles in the execution of projects.

Railway expansion hit

Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a letter to the chief minister claimed that at least 61 railway projects were stuck in the state as requisite land could not be acquired. He pointed out that the state is the ultimate loser due to such non-cooperation.

The most jarring “retaliation” by the state is perhaps the non-release of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers for the Central deputation pool in a bid to make the Centre struggle to get adequate numbers of officers needed to govern the country.

Holding on to IAS officers

West Bengal sent the least number of IAS officers on Central deputation. According to the latest data from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), six out of a possible 82 officers from the state are on Central deputation. The state has a total cadre strength of 378. which is just 7 per cent.

To serve the Central government, officers have to get a no-objection clearance from the state government. The Centre’s attempt to change Rule 6 (deputation of cadre officers) of the IAS (Cadre) Rules 1954 in 2021 was stonewalled by the opposition-ruled states including West Bengal.