West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced that the government will transfer funds to the bank accounts of 21 lakh MGNREGA workers in the state by February 21.

The Trinamool Congress chief on Friday kicked off a 48-hour dharna at the city’s BR Ambedkar statue demanding the Center release “unpaid dues” of various social welfare schemes and also said she would file another one soon Announcement regarding unreleased funds under Awas Yojana.

“We do not want to beg from the BJP and do not need their handouts. We will transfer money into the bank accounts of 21 lakh workers who have not even participated in the 100-day job scheme (MGNREGA) in the past three years. Get funds from the central government. This is my first step,” Banerjee announced at the dharna.

“The central government thinks they will starve Bengal to death. We will not let them succeed…trust me…I will slowly clear out those funds that are still trapped step by step,” she said.

“This fight is for the deprived. We will continue to fight so that no poor person in Bengal is deprived. I will fight for you till I am alive,” the CM said. Banerjee said her party will contest the Lok Sabha polls “with all its might” and asserted that if all opposition parties unite, the BJP government at the Center will surely be toppled.

“I will go all out to win it all. If all states, all front organizations, all regional parties and national parties come forward, then I think the fall of the BJP is inevitable. If the BJP thinks they will be in the long term It would be wrong to stay here. They have been torturing people in this country for a long time,” she said.

Bengal’s chief minister reiterated that she will “never allow” the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.

Former Indian cricketer-cum-politician Kirti Azad and social activist Yogendra Sharma visited Banerjee at dharna manch on Saturday.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)