Democratic government accountable to people: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been on the warpath against the Centre over demonetisation, on Friday said a truly democratic government should always be accountable to the people it serves.

"The difference between a democratic and a dictatorial government is that a democratic government is always accountable to its people while the latter is only accountable to itself," Banerjee said at a health awards distribution ceremony here. She said her government is a democratic one.

The Trinamool Congress supremo said the government should be ready to rectify mistakes it makes instead of "forcing" such erroneous decisions on the people.

"We can all make mistakes. Even Netaji Subash Chandra Bose told the youth about the right to make mistakes. But if one can recognise and rectify the error in time, that is the biggest reward of all," she said without taking any names.

Talking about the misery of the common people after demonetisation, Banerjee criticised the current cash withdrawal scenario.

"The Centre is saying one can withdraw up to Rs 24,000 in a week which means around Rs 96,000 in a month can be withdrawn. However, in reality the daily wage workers are not even able to withdraw around Rs 5,000 (in a month) as banks have no money," she alleged.

--IANS

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