May 13, 2015
Progress of Bengal will not be halted because of funds: WB CM
Speaking at a public meeting in Raipur in Bankura district, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that in spite of the huge debt burden imposed on the State Government by the past Left Government, she did not let the developmental works in Bengal come to a standstill.
The Chief Minister said that a major portion of the State’s revenues are being spent to pay the debt incurred by the Left, before 2011. There is acute shortage of funds for developmental works, she said. In spite of the financial burden, the Trinamool Government had kept the process of developmental works unhindered.
From Raipur, the Chief Minister inaugurated 24 projects and laid foundation stones for another 55. She said that the next time she visits, she will inaugurate those, of which the foundation stones have been laid.
The Chief Minister said that in the past four years she had held 84 administrative meetings in the districts. She said that the atmosphere of Jangalmahal has changed and the fear factor that once ruled the area has vanished. She reiterated that peace prevails in Jangalmahal and without peace, development cannot take place.
The Chief Minister said the previous government had distributed on 12,000 pattas in three years while the present Government in four years have already distributed over 3 lakh pattas. She announced that girl students studying between classes VIII to X, who numbers 40 lakhs in Bengal, will be given bicycles.
She said that the payment for 100 Days’ Work scheme has already been released but many places in rural Bengal do not have banks which result in delays. The Chief Minister also informed that 3.2 crore people in Jangalmahal area are being supplied rice at Rs 2/kg. She announced that besides Bankura, fair price medicine shops are being set up at Khatra and Sonamukhi.
The Chief Minister informed that in spite of the Centre slashing 50% funds in ICDS and other such schemes, the State Government is still carrying on those projects at its own cost.
