KOLKATA: As the countdown for the assembly polls in West Bengal begins amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the Centre has withheld the state's long-pending dues.

Releasing the report card ‘Unnayaner Panchali’ of her government during the past 14 years since 2011, Mamata told media at the state secretariat Nabanna, “The central government has withheld our long-pending dues -- one lakh and eighty-seven thousand crore rupees. When will they pay? Elections are nearing but development works in Bengal can’t be stopped. Hope, they will release the funds.”

She claimed, “Bengal is a model across the country in terms of development schemes. We have launched different social security schemes in the state since we formed the government. We have created twelve lakh self-help groups in our state.”

On the issue of job creation, Mamata said, “More than two crore jobs have already been generated in the state during the last 14 years and an additional one crore will be created in future. Six economic corridors are under construction. We have decreased unemployment by 40 percent in our state. There has been a massive investment of two lakh crore rupees since we formed the government.”

She said that West Bengal topped the country in MGNREGA, rural housing, and village road construction four times in a row before the Centre "withheld" money.