West Bengal under economic blockade : Mamata Banerjee
'We are not begging but demanding our rightful share,' says West Bengal chief minister.
Asserting that West Bengal was the top performing state in the country,Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said she would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow to seek ‘justice’,as the opposition Congress and CPIM tore into her claims.
“We are not begging. We are not demanding any special package. We are demanding our rightful share. As far as performance is concerned,we are number one in the country,” Banerjee told reporters before leaving for Delhi.
“I am going to Delhi to seek justice. We are not going to meet him Singh as a partyman,but Manmohan Singh is the prime minister of the country. We want to know why Bengal is deprived. We will also protest against the economic blockade by the Centre,” the chief minister said.
Banerjee said,”I have lots of acquaintances in Delhi,but my visit to Delhi is not for a political meeting. It is entirely on the state’s financial situation.”
Banerjee said that before meeting the Prime Minister,she would meet the Planning Commission tomorrow. “I will submit reports on our performance and achievements on various projects to the Commission,” she said.
She said she would also meet Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday. “It is almost two years of TMC government coming to power. How long should we wait for central funds I will ask the finance minister.”
Banerjee reiterated that the Centre was taking away Rs 25,000 crore in interest on loans besides Rs 40,000 crore in central taxes.
The opposition Congress and CPIM contested the chief minister’s claims.
“It is totally to the contrary under Trinamool rule,” Union minister of state for Urban Development Deepa Dasmunshi said.
WBPCC leader Om Prakash Mishra alleged that the Trinamool Congress government was one of ‘announcements and programmes’ and had done nothing so far for its economic and industrial development.
CPIM central committee member Md Selim,retorted sarcastically “In terms of political violence,worsening law and order,attack on rival political parties,atrocities on women,spurt in rape and murder and failure to attract investments,this government must top other states.”
He claimed that West Bengal was among the three top states in terms of development under Left Front rule two years ago.
Selim alleged that the chief minister was encouraging wasteful expenditure in holding festivals and musical soirees instead of planning for industrial development and employment generation.
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