Why is West Bengal being singularly deprived: Mamata Banerjee বিহারের প্যাকেজ নিয়ে ক্ষুব্ধ মমতা
Mamata Banerjee
But let us know why West Bengal is being singularly deprived? Is it a political vendetta, guided by narrow politics?
The 12th Finance Commission has identified West Bengal as one of the most debt-stressed states. Also no other state has a huge debt of ₹ 2 lakh crore thrust by the previous government. In fact, the Central Government permitted the previous government of Bengal to continue with borrowing without introducing FRBM Act. This financial indiscipline of the previous regime has totally destroyed the fabric of our State.
All we want is not to stand before the Central Government with a begging bowl. We want justice. We want a transparent debt-restructuring plan so that we can invest crore of revenue earned by us be spent for infrastructure development. Instead of providing financial help to West Bengal, every year, Centre is taking away over ₹ 25,000 crore from us to meet interest and repayment for debt, for which our government had no responsibility.
Is it not undemocratic and unethical to provide fund to those states which suit Centre's politics? We always 'hold our head high' and 'mind without fear'. But you all see to yourselves, how injustice and political discrimination is depriving Bengal from its legitimate demands.
"Very recently, few states have been granted thousands of crore of rupees by the Central Government. It is very good. We support that all states must get financial help," Banerjee said in a Facebook post.
"But let us know why West Bengal is being singularly deprived? Is it a political vendetta, guided by narrow politics?" she questioned.
"Is it not undemocratic and unethical to provide fund to those states which suit Centre's politics?" she asked.
The special package approved by the Union Cabinet yesterday was widely seen as part of the Centre's efforts to reach out to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar amidst indications of severance of ties betweenJD(U) and BJP.
The chief minister said that the 12th Finance Commission had identified the state as one of the most debt-stressed and none other had such a huge debt of Rs 2 lakh crore thrust on it by a previous government.
However, she said, "We always hold our head high and mind without fear".
She maintained that the Centre permitted the previous state government to continue borrowing without introducing the FRBM Act which totally "destroyed" the fabric of the state.
"All we want is not to stand before the Central Government with a begging bowl. We want justice. We want a transparent debt-restructuring plan so that we can invest crores of revenue earned by us be spent for infrastructure development," Banerjee said.
She also claimed that instead of providing financial help to the state, the Centre was taking away Rs 25,000 crore annually to meet interest and repayment for debt.
বৃহস্পতিবারই নীতীশকুমারের দাবি মেনে বিহারের পিছিয়ে পড়া এলাকার উন্নয়নে ১২ হাজার কোটি টাকার বিশেষ আর্থিক প্যাকেজ মঞ্জুর করেছে কেন্দ্র৷ সেই প্রসঙ্গে বিহারের নাম না করে মমতা ফেসবুকে লিখেছেন, 'আমরা মাথা উঁচু করে ভয়শূন্য চিত্তে চলব৷ সবাই দেখতে পাচ্ছে অবিচার এবং রাজনৈতিক ভেদাভেদের কারণে কী ভাবে বাংলা ন্যায্য দাবি থেকে বঞ্চিত হচ্ছে৷'
নরেন্দ্র মোদীকে কেন্দ্র করে নীতীশের অসন্তোষের জেরে ফাটল ধরতে চলেছে এনডিএ জোটে৷ এই পরিস্থিতিতে দীর্ঘদিনের এনডিএ শরিক নীতীশের সঙ্গে নয়া রাজনৈতিক সমীকরণ গড়ে তুলতে চাইছে কংগ্রেস৷ সেই কারণেই বিহারের পাশাপাশি মুলায়ম সিংয়ের উত্তরপ্রদেশ এবং নবীন পট্টনায়েকের ওড়িশার জন্যও আর্থিক প্যাকেজ ঘোষণা করেছে কেন্দ্র৷ মমতার সঙ্গে সম্পর্ক পুনর্বিবেচনায় আগ্রহী হলেও এ রাজ্যের জন্য এখনও তেমন কোনও আর্থিক সুবিধা ঘোষণা করেনি মনমোহন সিং সরকার৷ তবে মমতা কেন্দ্রের ভূমিকা নিয়ে মুখ খুললেও সরাসরি বিহার বা নীতীশের সমালোচনার পথে হাঁটেননি৷ বিহারকে বিশেষ সুবিধা দেওয়ার বিরোধিতা না করে লোকসভা ভোটের আগে নীতীশ কুমার, নবীন পট্টনায়েকদের সঙ্গে জাতীয় স্তরে বোঝাপড়ার রাস্তা খোলা রাখলেন৷
মুখ্যমন্ত্রী লিখেছেন, বিভিন্ন রাজ্যকে কেন্দ্রের আর্থিক সাহায্য দেওয়া নিয়ে তাঁর কোনও আপত্তি নেই৷ একই সঙ্গে তাঁর বক্তব্য, 'আমরা বিচার চাই৷ বিভিন্ন রাজ্যকে রাজনৈতিক কারণে আর্থিক সাহায্য দেওয়াটা কি অসংবিধানিক নয়? যেখানে দ্বাদশ অর্থ কমিশন পশ্চিমবঙ্গকে অত্যন্ত ঋণগ্রস্ত রাজ্য হিসেবে চিহ্নিত করেছে৷' এই প্রসঙ্গেই বাম জমানার ঋণের বোঝার কথাও ফের তুলেছেন তিনি৷
মমতা বলেন, 'আমরা ভিখারি নই যে কেন্দ্রীয় সরকারের সামনে ভিক্ষার ঝুলি নিয়ে দাঁড়াব৷ স্বচ্ছতার সঙ্গে রাজ্যের বকেয়া ঋণ পুনর্গঠন করা হোক, যাতে পরিকাঠামো উন্নয়নে আরও বেশি খরচ করা সম্ভব হয়৷'
'শুধুমাত্র পশ্চিমবঙ্গকে বঞ্চিত করা হচ্ছে কেন? এটা কি সংকীর্ণ রাজনৈতিক প্রতিহিংসা? কেন্দ্রের সঙ্গে তাল মেলালেই অনুদান মিলবে, না হলে নয়? আমরা বিচার চাই৷ বিভিন্ন রাজ্যকে রাজনৈতিক কারণে আর্থিক সাহায্য দেওয়াটা কি অসংবিধানিক নয়? যেখানে দ্বাদশ অর্থ কমিশন পশ্চিমবঙ্গকে অত্যন্ত ঋণগ্রস্ত রাজ্য হিসেবে চিহ্নিত করেছে৷'
The Rs 12,000-crore special package for Bihar, announced by the Centre, for the remainder of the 12th five year plan has evoked mixed reactions in the state. The ruling BJP-JD(U) combine complained that the allocation fell far too short of the demand for Rs 20,000 crore.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is on a visit to Balmiki Nagar in Bagha district, is yet to react to the announcement.
However, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi described the allocation as 'illusory.'
Mr Modi, who is also the state's finance minister, said this was not a new package for Bihar. "The decision forms part of a special package announced by the NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee after separation of Jharkhand from it and there is nothing new in this."
The Bihar government had sought Rs 57,344 crore in the 12th five year plan and a sum of Rs 20,000 crore under the Backward Regions Grant Fund during the plan period, but the Centre chose to lower the allocation to Rs 12,000 crore, he said.
Accusing the Centre of discriminating against Bihar, Mr Modi said the UPA government had also slashed Rs 1,800 crore in the annual budget for 2013-14 as compared to the last fiscal.
The special package approved by the Union Cabinet yesterday is widely seen as part of the Centre's efforts to reach out to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar amid indication of strain in ties between old NDA allies JD(U) and BJP.
State president of Janata Dal (U) Bashist Narayan Singh said there was not much to cheer the decision as it fell short of the demand for Rs 20,000 under BRGF.
"There is nothing to welcome the approval of Rs 12,000 crore under BRGF for Bihar as it is short of our expectation of Rs 20,000 crore," Mr Singh said
He said Mr Kumar had sought the Rs 20,000 crore special fund because the state was witnessing fast growth and more money was needed to give a boost to development.
However, the argument was not given much weightage and a lower allocation was made, he said.
"Irregular flow of funds is one of the important reasons for backwardness in Bihar," he said, adding that the state of affairs could end only with the granting of special category status, for which JD(U) was making all efforts.
Congress Legislature party leader in the state Assembly Sadanand Singh said, "It's a very good decision. This will help reduce backwardness of Bihar."
On the Deputy Chief Minister's contention, the Congress leader said he should know that the Vajpayee government had allocated only Rs 1,000 crore after the division of Bihar and the creation of Jharkhand, and this too was at the fag end of the NDA rule.
RJD state president Ramchandra Purve said the special fund was a result of efforts put in by party chief Lalu Prasad and former Union Rural Development minister Raghubansh Prasad Singh in UPA
Amid reports that the Janata Dal (United) is on the verge of breaking its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Centre on Thursday appeared to reach out to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by approving a special package of Rs. 12,000 crore for his State for the remaining period of the 12th Five Year Plan.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, which met here on Thursday, gave its approval to continue the special plan for Bihar in the remaining four years (2013-14 to 2016-17) of the Twelfth Five Year Plan with a total allocation of Rs. 12,000 crore for the entire Plan period.
The decision came at a time when JD (U), which is the senior partner in Bihar Government, has strained relations with BJP and has indicated that it will break ties if its NDA partner names Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for next Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress is said to be watching the political developments closely and is reportedly eyeing JD (U) as a prospective ally.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari, however, denied there is anything political in the Cabinet decision.
"UPA has been running a government for the past nine years. It has been our endeavour not to mix politics and governance. But we live in a democratic country and everybody is free to draw his or her own conclusions," Mr. Tewari told reporters when asked if the package has come in the wake of strained relations between JD (U) and BJP.
Bihar had demanded Rs. 20,000 crore from the Centre.
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi expressed dismay at the package, alleging justice has not been done as this amount is too less and the State has not been given a special status as demanded.
"This is not a new package but a continuation of the package which was started by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
We had demanded Rs. 20,000 crore but only Rs. 12,000 crore has been granted. We have doubts whether even this whole amount will be given. They have given us a lollipop and this is too little," Mr. Modi, who hold the finance portfolio, told reporters here.
The Centre maintained though this is a continuation of the package, there has been a "substantive amount of enhancement".
The CCEA did not approve any fund for West Bengal though there were reports that it was being considered. Mr. Tewari maintained a special plan for the State was announced in December 2011.
The CCEA cleared a package of Rs. 4,400 crore for Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh which is facing drought.
While this allocation also allegedly had political overtones as the SP government, which is supporting UPA from outside and its support has become crucial after DMK pulled out its ministers, the government denied it.
A similar package had been approved last year but U.P. could use only 50 per cent of it and returned the rest.
Asked about the issue, Mr. Tewari said: "Whenever matters come up to CCEA, they go through a very robust and vigorous consultation process and if it involves the State Government they are also consulted. It comes up only after a very robust vetting process and obviously the concerned ministry would have taken cognisance of all this."
The government also decided to continue the special plan for the KBK districts (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) of Odisha with an allocation of Rs. 250 crore per annum in the remaining four years (2013-14 to 2016-17) of the Twelfth Plan.
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