Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi (SR)

New Delhi, Jun 29: 'Cut Money', a term most of us are not familiar with, is reportedly an everyday affair in West Bengal. Apparently cut money, is the unofficial commission charged by local politicians in the state for getting grants for projects approved by the state government. It is named for the 'cut' of the total money given by the government department as grants. As an example, if Rs 1,00,000 is granted by the state government, local area politician will charge 25,000 as charges for helping get the grant approved and this cut is shared between the lowest grassroots level worker to the senior most in the ruling party.

The cut is usually taken in cash and not through banking channels to avoid coming under the radar of the IT officials. Depending on the size of the project, the cut money from a single project could run into lac.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has inadvertently admitted to corruption in her party, the All India Trinamool Congress, when she warned the party workers to return the cut money or be jailed. This statement did not go very well with the junior party workers who feel the entire blame is put on them to return the money while no one is talking about the senior party leaders to whom a percentage of the cut was given.

As per a TOI report, following an uproar by labourers and opposition parties, a couple of days back an AITC booth president Trilochan Mukherjee, returned over Rs 2.25 lac cut money that he had taken from 141 labourers from their eight month's wages.

Senior AITC leader and MP, Satabdi Roy, was not very happy with Banerjee's warning and said, "A person who has taken cut money directly is only the front man. There are others who are behind him. They have also taken their share, so the money has to be returned according to this chain."