Coming down on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for announcing a number of new trains in the interim Railway budget tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister and former Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee described the proposals as “misleading and a gimmick.”
“It is misleading and a gimmick to make false promises by an outgoing government in a vote-on-account, whose purpose is only to seek Parliament’s permission for incurring expenditure for the coming four months,” she posted on a social networking site.
Ms. Banerjee said the budget went against “constitutional norms and absolutely unethical.”
Promises not delivered
Expressing her astonishment at the introduction of 72 new trains, she said the same government “has miserably failed to deliver on its promises.”
“At a time when the Centre has stopped giving funds for even 100 days’ works, fresh announcements, introductions and commitments are being made, which will become a huge burden on the new government,” she said.
“Who will implement these? Is it not a ploy to deceive the people for the interests of a single party,” she questioned.
‘Sham’
Earlier in the day, the Trinamool Congress general secretary and former Railway Minister, Mukul Roy, described the budget as “sham” and said the Centre had “no moral or legal right” to present the budget.
“It is an attempt to cheat, confuse people not just of West Bengal but the entire country.”