BJP state spokesperson Advocate Debjit Sarkar disclosed that the CAG report was filed in response to two Public Interest Litigations (PILs)—WPA(P) 316 of 2021 and WPA 375 of 2022—and sheds light on the scale of the embezzlement during the 2017 floods. The floods, which affected several blocks in Malda district, caused severe hardship for residents of Harishchandrapur 1 and 2, Ratua 1 and 2, and Chanchal. However, the report alleges that a section of local Trinamool Congress leaders, in collaboration with administration officials, misappropriated the funds that were meant for the relief of these very residents.
According to the CAG’s findings, a staggering amount of relief money was deposited into the bank accounts of 6,965 individuals, some of whom received payments multiple times—ranging from 2 to 42 withdrawals per person. A particularly striking example highlighted by the report was that of a Trinamool party worker from Harishchandrapur-2, who withdrew relief funds 42 times. The District Magistrate’s report, which stated that no pucca houses had been damaged, stands in direct contradiction to the CAG’s findings. The audit claims that approximately 7.5 crore rupees were embezzled under the false pretext of damage to property.
The CAG report further uncovered that 1.11 crore rupees were embezzled in Old Malda block, where there were no beneficiaries listed, and no records of ‘C Form’ documents, which were allegedly lost during office transfers. The report also notes that no police complaints were filed regarding the supposed loss of these documents.
In addition to the widespread fraud, the BJP also raised allegations that 108 influential Trinamool leaders and government officials unlawfully diverted more than 2.5 crore rupees in relief funds designated for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The report highlights that 6,605 individuals who were not on the BPL list were unlawfully given additional relief payments, amounting to a 7.3 percent increase in funds distributed.
Further discrepancies were revealed in the case of 83,874 individuals on the government’s relief list. The CAG found that for about 25,110 people, no inspection of damage had been carried out, yet relief was allocated in their names. Advocate Sarkar emphasized that these findings suggest systemic corruption in the way relief funds were distributed, with neither proper verification nor accountability.
Additionally, the BJP spokesperson pointed out that the state government has failed to submit utilization certificates for substantial amounts of central grants. According to the CAG report, the Panchayat and Rural Development Department still has dues of about 81,839 crore rupees, while the School Education Department owes approximately 36,850 crore rupees in unaccounted funds. These discrepancies, along with the violation of Article 204 of the Constitution—where substantial government expenditure occurred without the approval of the Legislative Assembly—further exacerbate the allegations of financial mismanagement.
Advocate Sarkar claimed that the corruption exposed in the CAG report is not limited to Malda alone, alleging that similar embezzlement occurred during other natural disasters such as Cyclone Amphan and Cyclone Bulbul. The BJP also accused the ruling Trinamool government of orchestrating a “drama” in some cases, where money was refunded after the CAG’s investigation began, using fake applications to cover up the fraud.
In conclusion, the BJP spokesperson stated that the CAG report has shattered the Trinamool Congress’s claims of transparency and integrity. He called for accountability, urging that those responsible for financially harming the state and depriving the common people of their rightful relief should answer to the public. He further declared that the 2026 assembly elections would serve as a decisive democratic battle for the people of Bengal against the alleged corruption, and the BJP is committed to leading this fight for a cleaner, more transparent governance.