Kolkata, Jul 8 : Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the Modi-led government at the Centre of cutting people’s pockets to fill their own.
At the post-budget press conference, she said, “The Centre has not paid the dues of the state. In 2020-21, it had allocated 58,952 crores for Bengal. But we have received Rs 44,737 crore 1 lakh. So, we have received 14 thousand 225 crores 54 lakh crores less. Even in 2019-20, the state did not get 11 thousand crores of the allocation. Besides, the Centre has not paid approximately 33,000 crores”, alleged Ms Banerjee.
Ms Banerjee also said that the revenue deficit of Bengal was lesser than the Centre. While the revenue deficit in the whole country is 9.3 per cent, the deficit in Bengal is 3.6 per cent, she claims.
She slammed the Modi government over the price of petrol and diesel. “Petrol and diesel prices are going up four times a week. The Centre has earned 3.71 lakh crores from Bengal only. The Narendra Modi government is cutting the pockets of people for filling their own,” the CM said.
He also complained that the Centre did not reply to the letters. “There is no point in writing a letter. They do not reply. The price of cooking gas has gone up by Rs. 276 in one year. The price has gone up by 47 per cent in 14 months,” she said. Ms Banerjee also said that poor people should be given liquid petroleum gas free of cost.
She also thrashed the Modi government severely on the vaccine issue. “The problem of vaccination is not over yet. There was enough time before the second wave. They have shown a budget of Rs 35,000 crore.
PM Care also had funds. But they did not take any action. There is still a vaccination problem in Bengal. Where did the money go? The third wave is about to come but many people still have not been vaccinated. Even Brazil is investigating against India”, an angry Mamata said.
Ms Banerjee also mentioned that Bengal is at the top rank of 100 days Work project. “Total 10,402 crores have been spent. A total of 1.18 crore people have got works”, she said. Adding that the ‘Duare Sarkar’ scheme is coming up again in August September, she concluded, “those who have not been enrolled their names for Sasthya Sathi or any other schemes earlier must enrol this time”.
