Accusing the Centre of non-cooperation with her government, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday pointed out that despite repeated demands to rescue West Bengal from the debt trap the Modi government has curtailed funds for various projects.
“Had there been full cooperation of the Centre, huge employment opportunities could have been generated in the state,” Mr Banerjee said urging the Modi government to continue funding for all cCentral projects in the interest of people.
Addressing a meeting here, Ms Banerjee said that the Centre had curtailed funds for various projects, including those for the people in Jangalmahal (affected by Maoist activities earlier).
She said that the previous Left Front government had left a huge debt burden and the people and the state government had to suffer for that.
“Inspite of this, we had created employment opportunities for a few lakh people,” she claimed urging the people to support the government which would work for people throughout the year.
Announcing a host of development projects and laying foundation stone for some of them, the CM said that her government would never allow people in the state to suffer due to lack of development activities.
“We want people in Jangalmahal to live in peace with the help of all sorts of development activities. No project earmarked for them will be discontinued,” she said.
Listing various development activities in the state despite fund constraints, Ms Banerjee said that already 13 new universities and 40 super speciality hospitals had come up in the state. ITIs were being set up in all districts and rice in subsidised rates were being distributed among people in Jangalmahal and several other areas.
The state government was also preparing Ghatal Master Plan to prevent floods in the area every year, she said.
On the occasion, Ms Banerjee launched the Sabooj Sathi project, besides inaugurating a project of Neem plantation in the Gopiballavpur area in West Midnapore district.
The Chief Minister earlier reviewed development works in various projects in a meeting with the district administration.
The projects Ms Banerjee inaugurated included water supply scheme, hostels for boys and girls, flood relief centres, Krishak Bazaars, roads and irrigation programmes, among others.
The CM also laid foundation stones for water supply projects, a marketing hub cum training centre, several government buildings, a GNM training centre and a girls hostel at Jhargram hospital among other projects. - PTI
