Mumbai, July 18 -- The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal is facing a peculiar challenge in the state: the "cut money" controversy. "Cut money" is an illegal commission that TMC workers have been charging from people who want to avail the benefits of State-run welfare schemes. According to reports, there were "fixed rates" for specific programmes, ranging between Rs200 to Rs25,000. Such demands by TMC workers have led to protests and clashes; the latest one took place on Tuesday in North 24 Parganas where a local TMC leader's house was attacked after "cut money" allegations surfaced against him. With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) making deep inroads into the state (evident from the Lok Sabha results) and civic polls due in 2020 and assembly elections in 2021, chief minister Mamata Banerjee is obviously keen to quickly douse the flames of discontent. Last month, she directed party workers to return the commissions to the beneficiaries....