Mamata's meeting with PM yields a soft warning

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking a moratorium on repayment of West Bengal’s debt, yielded a gentle warning.

Though there was no comment from the Prime Minister's Office, party managers said any announcement on the moratorium would only be made after the Parliament session ended. However, Banerjee’s red lines were laid out clearly: “I will wait for a few days, I hope the issue will be sorted out. In a democracy, talks are always good. We will keep talking. I am waiting for the last 11 months for the solution,” she said after her meeting.

“During the last 11 months, I have met the PM ten times and the finance minister 20 times. I am waiting for a few days. After that, I will decide politically what can be done for my state,” she said, indicating unhappiness on the lack of a proper response to her demand.

Banerjee said she had struggled for the welfare of the people and hoped she would “ultimately win”.

When pointed out that there was a problem in granting a moratorium on loan repayment, she said, “What is digestible to me is not digestible to the finance minister. The food which is digestible to my people is digestible to me. Whatever is done, I will wait for few days.”

Observers said this was her way of communicating to the government that if the moratorium was not announced soon, it would have a repercussion on the election of the President, along with other political issues. On the future course of action to be taken by her, Banerjee said, “I will do politically whatever is possible for my state.”

Asked what was PM's response to her demands, she said he is discussing the issue seriously but added that no solution has been found yet.

'We are hoping that it will be sorted out,' she said.

Justifying her demand for moratorium, Banerjee said such a step had been taken with regard to Punjab.

'Between 2000 and 2006, a moratorium was given to Punjab. West Bengal has suffered for 35 years under the Left Front rule. I have inherited this heavy debt legacy and it is not my creation.'

Describing the financial condition of the state as 'dismal' she said, 'We do not have funds left for health, education and developmental works. There is no money even for BPL scheme. This is a genuine demand. Even Finance Ministry reports concede Bengal, Kerala and Punjab are debt ridden states.'

She said 'No other state has suffered like Bengal. Bengal is a special case. We have to pay Rs22,000 crore as interest on loan repayment on central loan.'

Bengal has a debt of more than Rs2 lakh crore central loan.