Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several projects at North 24 Parganas district today. She laid the foundation stone of Harichand-Guruchand University on the occasion.
While speaking, she attacked the Centre on a range of issues, including crop and health insurance. She also slammed the Centre for IT notice to Durga Puja committees in Kolkata.
Highlights of her speech:
We give one sapling to parents when a baby is born. That tree will be worth a lot when that baby grows up; this will make their future secure.
Compare the work done since independence, till May, 2011, with the volume of work done in the last seven and half years.
People are getting rice at Rs 2/kg, newborn babies are getting saplings.
Girls are not a burden on our families. They are our assets. We have empowered 57 lakh girls through our Kanyashree programme.
We have removed the income ceiling for eligibility of Kanyashree scheme. Every girl is Kanyashree now.
The Centre has recently announced 10% reservation. The income ceiling is Rs 8 lakh per annum. I want to ask you, how many people come under this category? Those coming from humble backgrounds, those belonging to farmer or labourer families, the young generation will be deprived. The poor will be neglected.
There is a Supreme Court order prohibiting more than 50% reservation. Quotas are earmarked for particular communities only. They can’t provide jobs, and are talking about reservation. This is hogwash. They are deceiving you.
2 crore people have lost their jobs in 2018, during Modi Babu’s PMship. In Bangla, we have reduced unemployment by 40%. We want our young generation to get employment.
As elections are approaching, few people with vested interests are out their to get your votes. They are sending letters to people they have done everything. And what are States doing, then? The division of powers between Centre and States is clear.
In the name of demonetisation, they have looted your money. They have soured India’s relationship with all countries, including America, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Is it not the Centre’s job to strengthen the country’s defence system? What did they do? Rafale deal. They have not done anything. They are not capable of doing any job. And now they are sending letters claiming everything has been done by Modi Babu.
What is the job of the State? Education is a State subject. We have given scholarships – like Sikshashree, Kanyashree, Swami Vivekananda scholarship, minority scholarship – to students.
It is the State which looks after the farmers. And the banks, which give loans to farmers with high interest, are run by Centre. It is Centre’s fault.
Who provides healthcare? The State Government. It is a State subject. Centre has no role to play.
Rural development through panchayats is also a State subject. Law and order is also a State subject. Centre has no jurisdiction here.
They have created a logo which resembles their party symbol. Just imagine!
80% of the funds for crop insurance scheme are borne by the State Government. They pay only 20%. We have paid Rs 625 crore last year as the premium for crop insurance. And they have the gall to send letters claiming credit for the scheme.
More than 12,000 farmers have committed suicide across the country, due to the burden of bank loans. And in Bangla, we are proud of our farmers. We have abolished khajna tax and mutation fees on agricultural land.
Our Government have decided to give Rs 5,000 to farmers per acre of land, in two installments annually. If a farmer, between the age of 18-60 passes away we will give Rs 2 lakh to their families.
We have started a new project ‘dhan din, cheque nin’. Farmers will get cheques immediately after they sell their paddy at government procurement centres.
We provide a subsidy of Rs 27 on the rice that we distribute at Rs 2/kg. We have given Sikshashree scholarships to 58 lakh SC/ST students.
More than 52 lakh Kanyashree girls have received scholarships. Now that the ceiling has been removed, additional 50 lakh girls will benefit. We have also extended the scheme to universities. We have laid the foundation stone for Kanyashree University.
A long-standing demand of the Matua community has been fulfilled today. We have laid the foundation stone for Harichand-Guruchand University. The university will have a campus at Krishnanagar. Tehatta Stadium will be known as ‘Guruchand-Harichand Stadium’.
We have set up development boards for Matuas, Namashudras, Rajbongshis, Kamtapuris and other communities in Darjeeling Hills.
The State used to bear 50% of the cost of health insurance scheme. We have withdrawn from the scheme yesterday. We already provide healthcare for free at hospitals. We already have Swasthya Sathi scheme. We had an agreement with Centre that since Swasthya Sathi was started earlier, the name of the scheme will remain the same. But they indulged in politics, without informing the State.
Before elections, they said everyone will get Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts. They promised to bring back black money. They hoodwink people with such false promises before elections. This is just cheating people. This never happened before.
They are altering history. Names of institutions and places are being changed. Doordarshan has become BJP-darshan. Only politics is being featured.
They are playing divisive politics on the basis of religion. Our religion is centuries old. We all know about the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, We all know about the Quran. We perform Durga Puja. We perform Kali Puja. We perform Chamunda Puja. We perform Santoshi Ma’s Puja and many other such pujas.
We worship Guru Nanak, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Lokenath Thakur, Thakur Anukul Chandra. We participate in festivals of all communities, including the Jains, Parsis or the Buddhists. We celebrate occasions like the Christmas, Johar festivals and every other such things. You don’t need to teach us all these.
In Bangla, people from all castes and creeds, all religious sects celebrate the Durga Puja. Now the Left has allied with the BJP. They are now sending notices to the Durga Puja committees and asking for their expenditure details as they need to pay income taxes. Do people know the details of how much money you have looted during demonetisation? How much money has been deposited as income tax?
There are many trusts and temples across India. There are religious places like the Tirupati, the Tarakeshwar, the Furfura Sharif, the Golden Temple, the temple of Balaji, the temple of Ganapati, the temple of Jagannath Dev. Will they pay income tax? The organisers of the Durga Puja do not do it for their profit. They organise a festival for the people. It is a festival for the community. Unity of all religions is harmony. These are all non-profit organisations. They do not need to pay income taxes.
Secondly, a Puja is a religious ritual – why should income tax be paid for it? Thirdly, it is the common people who give donation to organise these Pujas. The political parties and the Central Government do not pay a penny. Our State Government has given Rs 10,000 to the clubs for community development. You are trying to get money from these clubs. Are you trying to stop the Durga Pujas? If you are trying to stop the Durga Pujas, remember, we will not keep quiet. I will urge all the clubs to unite and protest against this dictum.
How much income tax is being collected from the real thieves? The real hoodlums are all staying in foreign countries while are clubs are being harassed for income tax. Now, will they ask for income tax for performing Roza during the Ramzan? Will they ask for income tax for cooking? Will they ask for income tax from journalists for taking pictures? People will pay income tax while they will make an income by looting the money of the masses. This is how the country is running.
I think the real ‘jatra’ should be that one where truth is being spread. I am not telling you to perform a political ‘jatra’. I have come to know that some are performing political ‘jatra’. A film called ‘The Accidental PM’ has been released before the elections. Everybody is then an ‘Accidental PM’. I could not understand the meaning!
I am no longer in the Congress party. There is a difference between them and us. I have formed a separate party – Trinamool Congress. But in my view, facts should not be changed and what has been done is not right. I have to say that those who are creating a drama before the elections regarding ‘The Accidental PM’ should watch out if any film by the name ‘Disastrous PM’ is released. It may be made in near future too. There is always an eye for an eye. Nobody spares the other.
They should see their face on the mirror. They cannot laugh, cannot speak. People are scared to see them. People think that Gabbar Singh will come! The same has happened with the CPIM. I am speaking this on the stage of the ‘jatra festival because people will understand this. Both you and I do politics. There is a difference between the politics we practice and what they do. How dare you throw bombs at school buses filled with students in order to enforce a bandh? I will say this a thousand times. Students are our future, They are our wealth. How could you throw bombs at school buses? What kind of politics is this?
We are experiencing a situation where a conspiracy is afoot to divide the country. A conspiracy is afoot to degrade people, to pit people go against one another.
Let there be light in Bengal. I wish that all of you stay blessed.
Keep faith. Keep trust. Keep your belief. I will ask all the public representatives to keep a watch so that people may get the benefits. Listen to the people. Help them. This place is like a home to me. I vist here quite regularly. A few days back, I came to the Matua Bari during the centenary celebration of the centenary of Baro Maa. Will see yo all again. Keep well.
