With funds under the flagship MGNREGS stalled for West Bengal for more than two years now, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the Centre is not discriminating against the state, which he blamed for not complying with the Union government's directives.

His comments comes a day after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the central government clashed in Parliament over the disbursal of funds under the MNREGA to the State, after TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee claimed in the Lok Sabha that the West Bengal government is yet to receive funds under the central scheme for the fiscal years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.

The funds for West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have been stopped since March 2022 due to non-compliance of directives of the Central government, according to the Ministry of Rural Development.

Asked what is the way forward, Chouhan told reporters at a press conference here, "We are concerned about the poor people in West Bengal as well. We have asked for certain compliances, and if the state fulfils them, we will consider it".

Chouhan also said the state has been provided funds under other schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

"West Bengal has received funds under PM Sadak Yojana because there were no discrepancies in that. We give funds for a purpose. If that purpose is not met, if names of schemes are changed, non-eligible people are made beneficiaries, standards are not followed, should we not ask for answers? Should we keep giving money," Chouhan asked.

"The Centre has the right to conduct a probe. It was done, irregularities were found, so we had to take action," he said.

The minister added that action will be taken if similar irregularities are found in other states.

While replying during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Chouhan strongly refuted Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee's allegation that Central funds under various welfare schemes were not released to West Bengal.

Chouhan also accused the West Bengal government of diverting Central funds and making "undeserving" people beneficiaries of welfare schemes.

“It has been demonstrated that non-beneficiaries have been registered as beneficiaries, and vice versa, under this scheme. The names of village development schemes were changed, which is not permissible. For instance, they committed an offence by renaming the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as their own. Furthermore, benefits intended for beneficiaries have been given to non-beneficiaries,” Chouhan had said in Parliament on Tuesday.

Trinamool Congress has been repeatedly accusing the Union government of depriving the state of Central funds.