Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday dubbed the Union Budget "anti-poor and politically biased" and accused the central government of neglecting the state's interests.
Banerjee expressed disappointment with what she perceived as a Budget designed to please NDA allies rather than prioritise the welfare of the masses. She pledged that the people of Bengal would protest if the central government continued to ignore the state's demands.
"Bengal has been completely deprived in the Union Budget, which doesn't look into the interest of the poor. The Budget is directionless. It is only to serve a political mission. I don't see any light," she told reporters on the state assembly premises. The TMC supremo said people of Bengal will protest if the Centre continued to deprive the state.
Banerjee, without naming anyone, criticised the BJP's allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre for allegedly "sacrificing" ministerial positions for financial gains. "I have never seen such a government that is giving out financial aid and not giving ministerial berths (to allies) or the post of Speaker. I don't blame the government; why did they (NDA allies) accept it? I have no problem that (the Centre) has given financial packages to Andhra and Bihar. But the law cannot be discriminatory."
"They have constantly deprived Bengal, which is not a small state. Why this discrimination?" she questioned. The Chief Minister accused the Centre of withholding funds under the MGNREGA schemes. "There is no mention of clearing our dues under the MGNREGA scheme. The total dues of the state from the Centre is Rs 1.71 lakh crore. Bengal is a huge state with an international border with Bangladesh. If this central government deprives us, people of Bengal will settle it during elections," she said.
Banerjee slammed the Centre for not providing any flood relief and reconstruction packages despite the state being cyclone and flood-prone. "Bengal has repeatedly faced cyclones over the last few years. They are giving (flood relief and reconstruction packages) to neighbouring states but not to Bengal. Is this not discriminatory?" she said.
Speaking about the announcement of special financial assistance for Sikkim, which had witnessed landslides and natural calamities in the recent past, the Chief Minister said, "They seek votes from Darjeeling, but after votes, they forget Darjeeling (which is also prone to landslides)." Reacting to Banerjee's remark, senior BJP leader and MLA Agnimitra Paul said the Centre did the right thing by not announcing any financial package for the state.
"Why will the Centre provide a financial package to Bengal, to help the TMC leaders siphon off funds? The TMC government has been using central funds but is not providing any utilisation certificates. Is this constitutional? The TMC government is neck-deep in corruption," she said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced income tax relief for the middle class, a Rs 2 lakh-crore outlay for job creation schemes over the next five years, and a spending splurge for states run by her party's new coalition partners as she unveiled Modi 3.0 government's first Budget after the general elections.
With rural distress and unemployment being blamed for BJP losing its majority, Sitharaman in her seventh straight Budget provided Rs 2.66 lakh-crore for rural development and maintained spending on long-term infrastructure projects at Rs 11.11 lakh-crore to boost economic growth.
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