Mamata to raise Bengal development with Modi

Complaining that many welfare schemes have been put in the back burner as the central government stopped the flow of funds, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she would raise the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will arrive here on May 9 on a two-day visit.

"It is a courtesy for the (state) government to meet the prime minister and give a memorandum to him regarding the development of the state. It is our social obligation to ensure the welfare of the poor. So we will hold a meet with him along with our chief and home secretaries," Banerjee said in Jalpaiguri.

She also complained that many central schemes including the rural job guarantee scheme have been stalled after the central government cut off the funds.

"There are some schemes which have been totally stopped because the funds are not coming, even there are huge funds pending for the 100 days jobs scheme. These are all important programmes for my state. If the prime minister gives us time, we will certainly raise these issues," she added,

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, also extended support to the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh claiming that the "people were in favour of it".

The opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress, however, claimed the Banerjee was meeting Modi with the aim of thwarting the Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam in which several Trinamool leaders are under investigation and arrest by the central agency.

"All are aware about her relations with the BJP and in the past few weeks, no Trinamool leader has uttered anything against Modi or the BJP. On the other hand, the prime minister has ensured the CBI goes soft on the Saradha probe," claimed CPI-M MP Mohammad Salim.

Echoing similar views, Congress leader Abdul Mannan said: "This is all give and take policy. The PM is hoping to break an opposition front, while Banerjee in return is hoping she and her party will be absolved from the charges of swindled Saradha money."

Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Samik Bhattacharya, however, rubbished the charges.

"A chief minister meeting the prime minister over issues of development is a usual thing happening in federal structure. This has nothing to do with the Saradha probe," he said.