Mangalkot (WB):
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today demanded that the Centre immediately resume Central projects in the state, to which funding has either been stopped or reduced drastically.
Banerjee named several social sector projects like Mid-Day Meal, ICDS, police modernisation, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Jangalmahal development programme, among others, which suffered from either stoppage of funds or drastic reduction of it.
She said that she would write to the Prime Minister appealing for resumption of the projects for the benefit of people in the state.
Addressing a public meeting here in Burdwan district, Banerjee accused the Centre of showing indifferent attitude towards her demand for a financial package to clear the debt burden left by the previous Left Front government.
She was also critical of the Centre for not paying heed to her demand for settling devolution of taxes to states and retain subsidies for development programmes.
The devolution of taxes to states was much less compared to collections, Banerjee pointed out.
Asking the Centre to share the huge debt burden of the state, she said, “If you (Centre) deduct so much, how will the state develop? Despite all this, there are no salary dues of the employees. Once this huge deduction of funds is stopped, the state will be flooded with development work.”
Banerjee also reiterated that even though the state had won democratic rights, economic independence was yet to be attained “due to step-motherly attitude of the Centre”.
She claimed that her government had been able to boost collection of revenues.
The chief minister also announced on the occasion that the Burdwan district would be officially bifurcated before Durga Puja next year.
She said CPI(M), Congress and BJP have left the state in a poor financial condition.
She flagged off the Sabuj Sathi scheme for the district while inaugurating and laying foundation stones for a bouquet of projects.
She laid foundation stones for road and irrigation projects, renovation of administrative buildings, minority hostels and godowns among other things and also distributed several services under various schemes including Kanyashree, Yuvashree and Sikshashree to the beneficiaries.
