Yet to receive Rs 8,000 cr sent by Centre

Mitra once again blamed the financial crisis faced by the state on the Left Front government.

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West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Monday rubbished Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvis claim that the Centre has provided Rs 8,000 crore to the state government. Not a single paisa has been provided to the state government by the Centre on account of debt relief,repayment and Backward Area Development Project so far, Mitra said adding that the Congress leader does not know the fact and should have consulted him before speaking.

What Singhvi said yesterday is incorrect. Singhvi is well versed in legal matters but may be not in economics, the minister quipped.

Mitra once again blamed the financial crisis faced by the state on the Left Front government. The financial crisis would not have emerged had a staggering Rs 22,000 crore not been deducted from the state treasury on account of interests on loans taken by the previous government8230; We have no control on deduction of money on account of interest and repayment of debt from the treasury, Mitra said.

He also blamed the Centre for not helping the state to come out of the financial crisis saying,Only if the Centre wanted to understand the problems we are facing.

Mitra also slammed Union Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh saying his report on the states dismal performance in implementing projects in the backward area is erroneous.

Mitra even claimed that no Centrally-sponsored project has been stalled because of non-availability of matching grant from the state government. Will anyone be able to give a single example of project being held up for not sanctioning fund by the state?, he asked.

Mamata gets a pat from Pranab on tackling inflation

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday praised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for tackling inflation saying her government intervened in the market to ease supply side constraints. I believe the state governments ought to play a very constructive role,like West Bengal where the chief minister herself has intervened, Mukherjee said at a FICCI seminar in Kolkata.