Mamata's deficit financing

Mamata Banerjee’s painting exhibition in Kolkata was a super success, with sales crossing Rs 4 crore. So much so that when a television anchor suggested that she could bring down the state’s staggering debt burden just by selling her paintings once she is chief minister, Banerjee took it seriously. “This is a brilliant piece of advice. I am making a commitment that I will dedicate Rs 1 crore for that purpose. And I promise, I will continue to paint,” she was heard telling the anchor. Now, that may be a cause for worry for the city-based industrialists who were seen jostling for space at the gallery showcasing the paintings of West Bengal’s chief minister-in-waiting.