February 17, 2014
WB CM slams Centre`s Interim Budget, calls it a gimmick
Ms. Mamata Banerjee criticized the central government on the interim budget, saying it was an election gimmick. It is possible to fool some people, but not all the people, she said replying to the debate on the Governor`s address in the Assembly. Noting that the outgoing UPA government would not be able to implement the budget, she said it was an election gimmick in a vote-on-account budget where the purpose was only to seek permission of Parliament for incurring expenditure for the coming four months.
The Congress-led UPA government was a sinking ship and would not return to power while the Left would face further rejection by the people, the West Bengal Chief Minister said.
“They (UPA) are only for some more days,” she said. She said that the Centre is attempting to starve the state, “even the funds for the MNERGA have been stopped by the Centre for the last three months.”
“Why did it allow the CPI(M)-led Left Front to take loans time and again during its reign?” she asked. She pointed out that there was a growing political love between CPI(M) and Congress to split Trinamool Congress votes in the Lok Sabha elections. Ms. Banerjee, who had called for a “poriborton” (change) in Delhi and spoken of a federal front of regional parties, said the days of the UPA government were numbered because of its “anti-people” policies after Trinamool Congress quit the UPA alliance.
