It was the Trinamool Congress government’s “dedication to development” that gave it a massive mandate in the Assembly polls and help it retain power, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.
Addressing a government programme at Narayangarh in Paschim Medinipur district, she criticised the Centre for reducing the allocation of kerosene under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and said she had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to reconsider the decision.
“This decision will cause grave distress to the consumers in remote and tribal areas and will adversely affect poor, SC, ST, minorities and economically weaker sections,” she stated in the letter.
The Trinamool government, in its bid to ensure that the PDS benefits only reached genuine beneficiaries, had taken “strong measures” and cancelled about 1.41 crore fake ration cards, she said.
Referring to the party’s resounding poll win, Ms. Banerjee said the “slander” against her government by the Opposition had not worked. During the run-up to the polls, she had urged the people of Narayangarh to elect the Trinamool Congress candidate. Narayangarh constituency is a former left bastion which the CPI(M)’s Surjya Kanta Mishra failed to retain.
“I am grateful to the people of Narayangarh for their support. We have not been able to do all the work but there will be no lack of sincerity to fulfil our development promises,” said Ms. Banerjee.
She announced a slew of projects for Narayangarh.
