Difficult for WB govt to pay employees for April/May: Pranab

The West Bengal government will find it difficult to pay salary to its employees in April and May, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said at an election meeting today.

The ruling regime has brought West Bengal's fiscal situation to such a pass that the government will find it hard to arrange salary for its employees on May 1 and June 1, the veteran Congress leader said here. 

"As the Union Finance Minister, I am letting you know it is the state's responsibility to arrange salary for its employees," Mukherjee commented.

Mukherjee accompanied Congress President Sonia Gandhi in her first election meeting in support of local party candidate.

He had earlier said at Nalhati in Birbhum district that West Bengal's financial situation is "worst" among all the states and the Centre is extremely worried.

"As the country's finance minister, I am extremely anxious as to how to get rid of the present financial crisis faced by Bengal," he had stated at the April 11 meeting, adding that the state was burdened with Rs 1.62 lakh crore debt.