Kolkata (West Bengal): After Nobel laureate economist Abhijit Vinayak Bandopadhyay suggested liberal printing of money and transfer of cash by the Union government directly to the bank accounts of the poorest section of the society, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is planning a pan-India movement for the same with other anti-BJP forces.
During a virtual meeting with the key opposition leaders on August 20, Banerjee proposed a united and nationwide stir demanding direct cash transfer of Rs 7,000 per month to families outside the income-tax bracket.
"The adverse impact of the pandemic and lockdown on the country's economy has been such that poorest sections of the society do not have required cash in hand to purchase even the necessary items. The worst sufferers are the lower, lower-middle and middle-class people. So our chief minister has called for a united effort to force the Union government into considering the Nobel laureate economist's proposal for direct transfer of cash to the accounts of the poorest sections of the society," said a senior Trinamool Congress leader adding that Chief minister, in this regard, has stressed on a pan-India united opposition movement.
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Banerjee, during the meeting also proposed forming a core group of Opposition leaders to decide on joint movements against the Central government. Her contention had been that the opposition needs to be united by keeping aside the regional interests and ideological differences. She also stressed the immediate initiations of the anti-BJP movement instead of waiting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
On the occasion, she also became vocal on the issue of alleged misuse of the central agencies by the ruling party in the country to destabilize different non-BJP ruled state governments and alleged that even agencies like the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) are being misused.
According to her, the other issues that should be included in the proposed united opposition movement include depriving the opposition-ruled state of their legitimate quota of the COVID-19 vaccines and Pegasus spyware, among others.
