WB: TMC's Kunal Ghosh counters migration claims, says "1.5 crore people from other states working here"

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 21 (ANI): Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh on Thursday dismissed criticism that West Bengal lacks adequate employment opportunities, pointing instead to large numbers of workers from other states who are employed in the state.
"If 22 lakh people from Bengal are working in other states, then 1.5 crore people from other states are working here too. It's not that there is no work here," Ghosh said.
Highlighting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's welfare measures, the TMC spokesperson said, "Mamata Banerjee has provided many schemes for the rehabilitation of Bengal's people working outside the state."
"Governor should ask centre to pay the pending dues it has over Bengal," he added.
Meanwhile, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee also came up with similar claims and said, "The Centre has not given Bengal a single rupee of help in the last 5 years. Yet, look at the Amader Para, Amader Samadhan camps, running successfully with Rs 10 lakh spent per booth, entirely from State funds. Not a penny of support from the Centre."
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a new rehabilitation initiative, the "Shramshree" scheme, aimed at Bengali migrant workers returning to the state after alleged harassment and discrimination in other states for speaking Bengali.
Banerjee, while addressing the media on Monday, said, "Due to speaking Bengali, other states declared them criminals. Twenty-two lakh migrant workers from West Bengal are working in other states. Today, they are suffering for speaking Bengali."
Under the Shramshree scheme, each returning worker will receive Rs5,000 per month for a year or until they secure new employment in Bengal.
"A new scheme for migrant workers, Shramshree, will soon start in West Bengal. Migrant workers will return to Bengal, the Government will provide them Rs 5000 for a year, as financial help. This scheme will start under the Labour department...This is only for Bengali migrant workers," she said. (ANI)