October 3, 2013
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee takes on Centre for not restructuring debt repayment
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee, who is about to stage protests in New Delhi against the Centre`s economic deprivation of the State, today said that the UPA government is not acceding to her repeated request for loan repayment restructuring.
At the launch of the Yuvashree Scheme at Netaji Indoor Stadium the Chief Minister said, “When the Left Front government was in power, it was allowed to take loans. You (the Centre) have allowed them to take loans for which we are suffering. You are not giving us a single paise. I am happy that you are helping other states, I love all states. But why you are stopping finances for Bengal and trying to economically deprive Bengal? “
“Remember that there is no use trying to economically deprive us. We will not bow down. We do not accept blackmailing. We can move on keeping our heads high. We will not allow Bengal to be deprived. We will fight for what is ours,“ she added.
Ms Banerjee said the State Government had been requesting the Centre for long for loan repayment restructuring. “We are suffering for the sins committed by the previous (LF) government. A sum of Rs 25,000 crore is being taken away from the state exchequer by the Centre as interest payment for the loans,“ she said adding West Bengal was the number one debt stressed state in the country.
The Chief Minister has been only requesting for a restructuring of the debt repayment and not a complete exemption of the amount. Even there the Centre has shown no sign of cooperation with the Bengal Government.
In the Extended General Council meeting of Trinamool Congress held on 30th September, Ms Banerjee termed the Centre`s silence over loan repayment restructuring as a `political vendetta` to ruin Bengal. She had said it was her final `appeal` and she would lead demonstrations in New Delhi with one crore people. All party MPs have been asked to be present in New Delhi on 7 and 8 October. Details of the party agitation programme will be announced soon.
Share:
