Allegation or charges of corruption against a state government cannot be an excuse for the Union government to hold back the central dues to the state government, according to the West Bengal minister of state for finance (independent charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya.

“For argument’s sake let us accept that we have indulged in corruption. But that cannot be a reason to stop central dues to those who perform. The central fund under the 100- day job scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Act is supposed to be cleared within 15 days. The Union government is holding back funds meant for public welfare. They are holding back funds under all central projects,” Bhattacharya said while reacting about the outcome of the goods & services tax (GTST) council meeting at New Delhi on Saturday.

She did not stop at that. According to her it is up to the people to decide who is involved in corruption.

“When the Union government raises tax from West Bengal, do they not forgo that under the principle that they will not collect revenue from a state where there is corruption. So by that same logic, why are they using corruption as an issue when the time for paying the central dues to the state comes? This is nothing but a sort of hypocrisy,” the state minister in-charge of finance said.

Her comments come at a time when the state’s ruling party is reeling under the pressure of multiple central agency investigations on a number of issues related to corruption. Recently, at almost all public and administrative review meetings the chief minister Mamata Banerjee had been vocal against the Union government over the non-payment of central dues to the state government. Her allegation is that the Union government is isolating West Bengal in this matter.

Reacting to Bhattacharya’s statement, BJP’s state spokesman in West Bengal, Samik Bhattacharya said that the central dues are paid from public money. “It is the duty of the Union government to ensure that there is proper utilization of that public money. So, if there is misutilization of such funds the Union government will surely act,” he said.