Force won't solve Lalgarh, says Sahai

Power and police would not solve Lalgarh’s problem, said Union minister for food processing industries, Subodh Kant Sahai.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Indian Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting, Sahai said that the problem stemmed from the frustration of the people, which should be addressed by the state government.

Hitting out at the West Bengal government, the Union minister also said that the state government had not utilised the central funds, which had gone back to the Centre. Sahai also felt that the Planning Commission should focus on managing regional imbalances.

Saugata Roy, Union minister of state for urban development, was less harsh on the state government. The Trinamool Congress leader said that the state should not have embarked on modernisation in a hurry.

Roy’s comment was in reference to the results of the general elections, which happened to be the worst performance for the Left Front in West Bengal.

Among the reasons behind the mandate for the UPA government, Roy also listed that people did not want parties that created instability at the Centre. Citing the performance of RJD, LJP, SP, BSP and the CPI(M), Roy said that it only validated his point.

Roy said that the UPA government would undertake reforms with a human face. The urban development ministry has sent its proposals to the ministry of finance, among which are concession on interest rate on housing loans. “The emphasis is not on luxury apartments, but on housing loans for the middle class,” he pointed out.