Bengal govt spent Rs 1,500 cr in last 3 yrs to provide fuel subsidy: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that her government has spent Rs 1,500 crore in the last three years to subsidise petrol and diesel prices in the state.

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that her government has spent Rs 1,500 crore in the last three years to subsidise petrol and diesel prices in the state. Her retort came a few hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a virtual interaction with chief ministers, flagged higher fuel prices in opposition-ruled states such as Maharashtra, Kerala and West Bengal and asked the state governments to reduce VAT for the benefit of the common man.

"Today's interaction with PM Narendra Modi was completely one-sided and misleading. Facts shared by him were wrong. We have been providing a subsidy of Re 1 on every litre of petrol and diesel for the last three years. We've spent Rs 1,500 crore on this," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat. She claimed there was no scope for the chief ministers to speak at the meeting and hence, they could not counter the prime minister's statement. "It would have been better had the PM not spoken on fuel price hike in a COVID-19 review meeting, it was his agenda," she said, iterating her demand for a reduction in fuel prices.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) also called the chief ministers meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "gyan baato" session and demanded that the Centre clear dues it owes to the West Bengal government. The Mamata Banerjee-led party also criticised Modi over his comments that opposition-ruled states should reduce VAT in "national interest".

Flagging higher fuel prices in many opposition-ruled states, Modi on Wednesday urged them to reduce VAT to benefit the common man and work in the spirit of cooperative federalism in this time of global crisis. Modi said many states were not adhering to the Centre's call for reducing the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel after his government slashed excise duties on them in November last. He called it "injustice" to the people and also harmful for neighbouring states.

"Mr. @narendramodi, we would like to draw your kind attention to key numbers that you may have missed in today's 'gyaan baato' session. Government of India owes Government of West Bengal a WHOPPING ? 97,807.91 Cr! Care to shed light on this? Any plans to clear our dues? Let us enlighten the Prime Minister on this momentous day...," the party said in a tweet.

• Mr. @narendramodi, it was your HEINOUS AGENDA to shame states today.
  
  What is the Centre doing to reduce the burden of people? What measures are being taken to curb the rising prices of essential commodities?
  
  DON'T BULLDOZE DEMOCRAZY. Take lessons from us!

  — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 27, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Mr. @narendramodi, it was your HEINOUS AGENDA to shame states today.
  
  What is the Centre doing to reduce the burden of people? What measures are being taken to curb the rising prices of essential commodities?
  
  DON'T BULLDOZE DEMOCRAZY. Take lessons from us!

  — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 27, 2022

  ">

  Mr. @narendramodi, it was your HEINOUS AGENDA to shame states today.
  
  What is the Centre doing to reduce the burden of people? What measures are being taken to curb the rising prices of essential commodities?
  
  DON'T BULLDOZE DEMOCRAZY. Take lessons from us!

  — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 27, 2022

Another tweet from the party listed what the West Bengal government had done to reduce the burden of the common people.

• Mr. @narendramodi, we would like to draw your kind attention to key numbers that you may have missed in today's 'gyaan baato' session 👇
  
  Government of India owes Government of West Bengal a WHOPPING ₹ 97807.91 Cr!
  
  Care to shed light on this? Any plans to clear our dues?

  — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 27, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Mr. @narendramodi, we would like to draw your kind attention to key numbers that you may have missed in today's 'gyaan baato' session 👇
  
  Government of India owes Government of West Bengal a WHOPPING ₹ 97807.91 Cr!
  
  Care to shed light on this? Any plans to clear our dues?

  — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 27, 2022

  ">

  Mr. @narendramodi, we would like to draw your kind attention to key numbers that you may have missed in today's 'gyaan baato' session 👇
  
  Government of India owes Government of West Bengal a WHOPPING ₹ 97807.91 Cr!
  
  Care to shed light on this? Any plans to clear our dues?

  — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 27, 2022

"GoI owes GoWB a whopping ?97,807.91 Cr. GoWB has been giving a rebate of ?1/ltr on Petrol & Diesel since February 2021, in order to reduce the burden on people. GoWB has waived ?400 Cr of road tax on vehicles," it said.

(With agency inputs)