An industry meet in Kolkata set the stage for two chief ministers — Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal and Nitish Kumar of Bihar — to highlight that the Centre is not paying heed to their financial woes. Both leaders also batted for a better co-ordination between regional parties, who they claim can run the country better.
Hinting that her party is open for a tie up in the 2014 general elections, the Trinamool Congress supremo urged for a conscience between regional players. On the other hand, the Janata Dal (United) chief asked other deprived states also to come together for financial aid.
“Regional parties can understand the problems and needs of the people in states better. Centre does not pay heed to the needs of everyone, consider the case of our financial woes and the moratorium we asked for,” Banerjee said in the meeting, according to a senior industrialist.
Adding to her national ambitions, she said, “If Bengal can run Bengal today, it can run India tomorrow.” Later, when asked about Bihar’s demand for special status to spur growth, Kumar said, “I think all other deprived backward states should also come together. The Centre economic policy should focus on development of backward regions.”
Bihar has been seeking resource support from the Centre to overcome economic and infrastructural backwardness, while Banerjee government was looking for a moratorium on interest payment on loans taken by West Bengal.
Banerjee also raised the issues that she had to start running the government, when the state was reeling under huge debt due to the misrule by the Left parties. She added that even after the the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in much higher than that of the national GDP.
When asked about her land policy, Banerjee showcased the industry bigwigs that the government is coming up with a new land allotment policy of auctioning the government land, while regarding agricultural land takeover her government will go for a hands-free approach, not allowing any forcible land acquisition.
Banerjee’s audience included industry bigwigs like UB group chief Vijay Mallya, Kumarmangalam Birla Karan Paul of Apeejay, RP-Sanjiv Goenka group chairman Sanjiv Goenka and Ambuja Cements managing director Harsh Neotia.
