Mamata Banerjee cries foul over economic package

Mamata's outburst comes a day after Centre approved a Rs 12,000 crore special package for Bihar

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banrejee has cried foul over economic relief packages extended to other states by the Centre.

"Very recently, few states have been granted thousands of crore of rupees by the central government. It is very good. We support that all states must get financial help. But let us know why West Bengal is being singularly deprived? Is it a political vendetta, guided by narrow politics?” she said on her Facebook page.

Her Facebook post came in the backdrop of a Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approval for allocation of enhanced funds to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore for Bihar, as a special plan under the Backward Region Grant Fund for the 12th five-year plan (2012-13 to 2016-17) against Rs 6,500 crore in the previous plan.

According to the Chief Minister, the 12th Finance Commission has identified West Bengal as one of the most debt-stressed states and the Centre was taking away over Rs 25,000 crore from Bengal to meet interest and repayment for debt, for which the TMC government was not responsible. "Also no other state has a huge debt of Rs 2 lakh crore thrust by the previous government. In fact, the central government permitted the previous government of Bengal to continue with borrowing without introducing the FRBM Act. This financial indiscipline of the previous regime has totally destroyed the fabric of our state,” she added.

The CCEA also decided that the Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh would get the remaining funds of a package announced in 2009-10 in the 12th plan. In 2009-10, the government had allocated Rs 7,266 crore for three years to Bundelkhand.

Only Rs 2,766 crore had been utilised in these three years. Now, the government will extend the remaining funds for the 12th plan.

The chief minister pointed out that it does not want to stand before the central government with a begging bowl and justice should be done through a transparent debt-restructuring plan.