Left questions Mamata's claims of development after reshuffle

West Bengal's opposition Left Front Thursday questioned the Trinamool Congress government's claims of development in the wake of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee replacing Partha Chatterjee as the industries and commerce minister in a cabinet reshuffle.

"She (Banerjee) has been repeatedly claiming that her government has completed almost 100 percent of all its commitments. But now, she has replaced the industries minister saying no work has been done. I wonder which of her claims is true," Left Front chairman Biman Bose told media persons here.

The industries and commerce portfolio was handed over to Finance Minister Amit Mitra during a major cabinet reshuffle which came days after Banerjee pulled up her "non-performing" ministers during a closed door meeting Dec 20.

The chief minister though attributed the change in guard towards lessening the burden of Chatterjee who had been handling too many responsibilities - both as a minister and the party's secretary general.

"The state government has been clamouring to have brought a deluge of industrial projects in the state. Organising meetings with corporate honchos and industrialists, the government claimed to have revived industrialization, if it is so, then why change the minister," said Bose.

"During the (Dec 20) meeting she reportedly gave a big zero to the industry minister. I wonder how a department which got a zero brought a deluge of industrial projects. The people are observing everything," added Bose.