FULL TRANSCRIPT
Sir, West Bengal has inherited a huge debt burden after 34 years of CPI(M) misrule, before All India Trinamool Congress came to power. Sir, we have repeatedly requested the Centre to waive or restructure the loans.
When Shri Pranab Mukherjee, who was the Finance Minister in 2011, had understood the plight of the State and had allocated a package worth Rs 8,750 crore to develop 11 districts under BRGF. Under this scheme, the Centre still owes our State Rs 2,330 crore. The totally money that the Centre still owes to Bengal is Rs 10,469 crore. Even at the 11th Inter-State Council meeting, which happened in the National Capital last year, our Chief Minister had expressed that there ought to be <interruptions>
We feel, Sir, we are being discriminated against. Despite having 88 fast-track courts we are not getting any money but Gujarat, which has no such courts, has been given Rs 400 crore.
It is imperative that the concept of Special Category Status for States be continued. It is not only Bengal, other States like Punjab, Maharashtra and Jharkhand are also debt-stressed. The Centre must also release the funds at the earliest for the development of backward regions.
I would like to end with two lines, Sir:
Dusron par agar tapsara kijiye
Saamne aaina rakh liya kijiye.
Thank you, Sir.