Kolkata: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on Tuesday conducted raids in several locations in West Bengal over alleged misappropriation of MGNREGA funds. According to ED sources, the raids were also conducted in houses of some state government officers.

ED officials raided West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) officers houses in both Salt Lake near Kolkata and Jhargram. A house of one Sanchayan Pan, deputy magistrate in Murshidabad was also raided.

Talking to the media, Pan said that he had cooperated with the questions of the central sleuths and if needed would lend the same cooperation even in future.

According to sources, there are approximately at least 25 lakh ‘fake’ job cards which are issued in the alleged MGNREGA irregularities.

Political slugfest

Political slugfest between ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started after the central sleuths conducted their first probe in the 100 days rural job scheme.

TMC minister Shashi Panja termed the raid as ‘political vendetta’.

“It is a ploy to divert attention from the ongoing dharna over MGNREGA backlog by TMC,” said Panja.

Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that 21 lakh workers who are affected due to the fund freeze by the central government will get their dues from the state government on February 21.

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari said,”The state police had failed to file a single charge sheet against FIRs done against some panchayat members and some district officers for issuing fake job cards. That is why the central agency had to intervene. If the actual wrongdoers are found then land has to be leased from the Army to open a temporary jail. Several people are behind the scam.”