Regretting that not all economically weaker sections in West Bengal figure in the below poverty line (BPL) list, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said on Wednesday: “We are preparing a revised list and it is our endeavour to include all sections of the poor so that there is none among them who will be without a ration card.”
He was inaugurating a stadium and community hall named after Marxist leader Jyoti Basu at Gayeshpur in Nadia district.
Because of certain faulty economic priorities, a substantial section of women did not have any access to a source of income, the Chief Minister said.
“To correct this imbalance, the State has set up nearly 9.26 lakh self-help groups largely involving women. Centres are being set up in Kolkata and the districts from where products manufactured by these groups will be sold to the consumer. But there is still need for setting up more such groups to economically empower women in a greater measure.”
Mr. Bhattacharjee came down on the Opposition for obstructing moves to set up more industries where the younger generation could find employment.
“Increasing agricultural productivity is not enough …There is need for new factories and we are trying our utmost towards this end. But the Opposition continues to obstruct our efforts. We are repeatedly telling them not to bring disaster upon the State by doing so,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said.
“Judge what the Opposition is up to and what we [the Left Front] have been able to achieve. The future depends on the judgment you pass. We want to move ahead with the support of the people.”
Mr. Bhattacharjee said: “Jyoti Basu is in our work and thoughts and we will have to keep alive his thoughts and beliefs.”
