Trinamool accuses Centre of indulging in political vendetta

Asks the UPA govt to put a moratorium on interest payment on loans

Trinamool Congress today hit out at Centre accusing it of "political vendetta" and meting out "step motherly treatment" to West Bengal over its demand for a three-year moratorium on interest payment on loans to the debt-ridden state.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) said the state is "reeling under severe financial crisis" as his party's government inherited the debt burden of over Rs 2,00,000 crore from the previous Left Front government.

"While we have no objection if other states are given benefits....The demand of West Bengal government to put a moratorium on interest of the Rs 2 lakh crore loan should also be met...Debt waiver for West Bengal should be worked out...We have inherited the debt burden from the previous government" that ruled the state for over three decades, Roy said.

Trinamool Congress was an ally of UPA-II government but had walked out of the alliance on the issue of FDI in retail last year. Roy said his party-led government in the state is being penalised for that.

"There has been political vendetta since we have withdrawn support from the UPA government," he said, adding that despite assurance by Finance Minister P Chidambaram "till date nothing has been done by the central government...There is step motherly treatment".

He recalled that the Finance Commission had also earlier categorised West Bengal as a debt state.

Roy demanded that the Centre should consider the state's demand in the right earnest.