Centre should pay DA of state govt employees as well: Mamata

Centre should come forward and pay the dearness allowance of state government employees as well, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanded today.
"Whenever the Centre announces DA, state government employees should be given the same on a par (with central government employees).
"They (Centre) give it (to central government employees) before elections. Will others (state government employees) suck their thumbs?" Banerjee asked.
"We want the Centre to pay the DA for (state government) employees," Banerjee said. She added that paying DA cost Rs 6,900 crore to the state exchequer.
"How will we be able to afford it when the central government is taking all the money from us?" she asked.

Speaking at a convention of state government employees organised under the banner of the Paschimbanga Sarkari Karmachari Federation, Banerjee said the matter had also been taken up with the Finance Commission.

She reiterated her charge that the Union government had stopped funds for various central schemes like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
"There should be a tax for those who lie," she said.
She also added that restructuring should be done for the interest on loans taken from the Centre by the previous Left Front government.
"Why should we pay for the faults of CPI(M)?" she asked.