Union Budget ‘anti-people’ and ‘anti-poor’: Mamata

The chief minister claimed that the changes in the income tax slabs won’t help anyone. “There is no ray of hope in this Budget. It is a dark Budget. This Budget is full of lies, falsehoods and fake claims,” she claimed.

“We have heard that it is an exceptional Budget. What is so exceptional about it? We have 3.7 crore unemployed youths in India and there was not a single word on unemployment and jobs. A handful of jobs that were there, they were abolished too,” said Banerjee in a scathing attack on the BJP-led Centre.

Criticising the Centre for “drastically slashing the MGNREGA budget”, Banerjee said, “In the last Budget, the MGNREGA fund was reduced to some extent, but in this Union Budget, it has been slashed drastically. Don’t expect that the Centre will employ people under the 100 days’ work scheme (MGNREGA). They have not even released the wages of these (MGNREGA) workers. Isn’t it a criminal offence to withhold MGNREGA funds? The Constitution of India makes it obligatory (for the Centre) to release the wages for the 100 days’ work scheme, it’s not optional.”

She sought to know what had the Centre done for the Self-help Groups (SHGs), Accredited Social Health Activists (Asha) and Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) workers and the farmers. “What have they done for the unemployed youths and the skyrocketing inflation? The food subsidy has been reduced. In the coming days, the poor will be suffering the most. Aren’t they (Centre) ashamed?”

“Has the Centre been able to keep any of its words so far,” asked Banerjee, “They came to power promising Rs 15 lakh would be deposited into every person’s bank accounts, did you get the money? They promised that they would provide employment to over 2 crore youths, but nothing happened. Rather they reduced 40% jobs.”

Slamming the Centre for sending probe teams to the state, the chief minister said even a mosquito bite here would lead to a central team visit to Bengal. “But we won’t see any of these central teams ever visiting Uttar Pradesh? They want to arrest Trinamool leaders, but they won’t say even a word about the scam-tainted BJP leaders.”

Targeting the Centre over the “delay in disbursal of funds” it owed to the states, Banerjee said, “The Centre is taking our money away. The rule book states that the Centre and states have to work together, but nothing of this sort happened under the BJP rule. The Centre takes away all taxes from the states, but we don’t get back our share.”

In a veiled attack, Mamata slammed the Centre for arresting Trinamool leaders. “I want to tell the people of Birbhum that if the Centre thinks by keeping one or two (TMC) leaders in jail, they will be able to defeat us, then they have never been more wrong. It is the people who vote for us. In their absence, I will personally take care of the Birbhum district. Firhad Hakim will assist me. My core group will also assist me. We will continue working for the people in Birbhum,” said Mamata, without naming TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal. Mondal was arrested by the central agency in a cattle smuggling case in August last.

Responding to the charges levelled by Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari that she gave compensation to Bogtui violence victims from the mid-day meal fund, Banerjee said, “Opposition leaders keep raising flimsy issues. Don’t they realise that in the event of an emergency, any department can give funds, and when the emergency is over, the government returns the amount to the department concerned? That’s how governments work.”