‘We are happy with our performance’

In May, Trinamool Congress will be completing two years.

With less than a month to go before her government completes two years in office, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said here on Friday that she is happy with its performance.

“In many areas we are either in number two or number one position in the country,” she told journalists after a review meeting.

Stating that her government had spent 32.30 per cent more funds for development activities in this fiscal compared to last year, Ms. Banerjee said growth in the industrial and service sectors has been more than the national average.

Describing the meeting with Ministers and officials as “constructive, positive and concrete,” she said a committee has been set up under the Chief Secretary for inter-departmental transfer of land.

The State government had spent Rs. 600 crore more than what was allocated to it under MGNREGS, Ms. Banerjee said.

“If one takes into account the additional amount spent by the government for MGNREGS then we are number one in the country in implementing the scheme,” she added. Pointing out that the revenue of the State government has increased by Rs. 12,000 crore over the past two years, she said the Centre had deducted Rs. 25,000 crore from the State exchequer during this fiscal as interest on loans and repayment of loans.

“This is not our fault. It is the result of corruption by Left Front governments and non-performance in any sector,” Ms. Banerjee said, referring, to the Rs. 2.03 lakh crore debt burden on the government.