Kolkata: Amid the ongoing controversy over her announcement of DA for West Bengal government employees without its mention in the budget speech, state Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya on Friday said there is nothing wrong in it as she has only announced a decision taken by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Ahead of panchayat elections, Bhattacharya on Wednesday presented a Rs 3.39-lakh crore budget for 2023-24, focusing on farmers, an ailing tea sector, the state's potential as a logistics hub and budding entrepreneurs. Bhattacharya also declared an additional dearness allowance of three per cent for state government employees, teachers and pensioners. The opposition BJP had alleged that the finance minister had broken norms as it was not mentioned in the budget document.
When Bhattacharya was at the end of tabling the budget, a chit was given to her, and she announced the three per cent dearness allowance. "A lot of things are being said about the announcement of DA through instructions written on the chit. Where is the norm that you cannot make any announcement apart from what is written in the budget document? No parliamentary rules were broken. The opposition has nothing to say and is trying to make an issue out of a non-issue," she said.
While replying to budget discussion, Bhattacharya slammed the BJP-led union government for not releasing funds due to the state."The Centre has stalled funds for several projects including for the MGNREGA. The centre owes nearly Rs 11,000 crore in MGNREGA. When we took over from the Left Front in 2011, the state was burdened by a debt of Rs 1,92,000 crore. We have brought down the revenue deficit ratio and also the fiscal deficit ratio," she said. Mocking BJP MLA and economist Ashok Lahiri's remark that the state is very good at making announcements, Bhattacharya said the TMC has a track record of fulfilling its poll promises, unlike the BJP. (PTI)
