Bengal seeks Centre's help in debt restructuring

West Bengal today sought help from the new NDA-run government at the Centre seeking restructuring the state's piling debt.
After a meeting of finance ministers of the states with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at New Delhi today, Mitra told reporters that he had urged the Centre to give clear indications in the forthcoming budget on how to restructure the existing debt and also accord a three-year moratorium on the repayment schedule.
"At the meeting, I had urged the Centre should give clear indications in the Budget on how to restructure the piling debt and also a three-year moratorium on repayment in interest and principal amount," he said.

"I have raised the voice of Bengal at the meet since the state is financially crippled as Rs 77,000 crore had been repaid to the Centre over the last three years after Trinamool Congress came to power in May 2011," Mitra said.
Mitra also said he had apprised Jaitley that during the UPA regime, although a committee was formed to look into the issues, then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had stated it was not possible to give any preferential treatment to West Bengal.
He said he had met the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mukherjee several times and nothing had happened.

West Bengal's debt burden stood at a staggering amount of Rs 2.10 lakh crore.