Centre doing no favour by giving funds to states, says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the central government in a public meeting in the former Maoist stronghold of Junglemahal, saying the Centre does not do a "favour" by allocating funds to the state, a statement that Trinamool Congress members said set the tone for the party’s campaign in the run-up to the assembly elections next year.

"The funds go to the Centre from the revenue we earn. And the Centre gives us a small amount from that. So it is not a favour they are doing to us," said Banerjee, who is on a three-day tour to Junglemahal, from where she will go to north Bengal on another administrative tour. "The Centre thinks it is doing us a favour by giving us funds. The truth is the money is taken from our revenues."

The chief minister further said, "We believe in development. Jangalmahal is smiling. We have a social responsibility. The Centre has stopped giving funds for several schemes. To those who say that no progress is happening in Bengal…GSDP (gross state domestic product) growth of Bengal is higher than national GDP."

Banerjee said her government has done maximum development in Junglemahal, along with the rest of the state.

"We have started 13 new universities in four years. Polytechnic colleges are coming up in every sub-division. We have started setting up fair price diagnostic centres. Poor people can now afford MRI, CT scans and dialysis," she said. "We started fair price medicine shops. Beds are given for free in Bengal hospitals. We have set up critical care units across districts and sub-divisions. Poor people get healthcare for free."

Announcing that about 3 crore more people will get rice at Rs 3 per kg, she said, "Work is going on for the scheme. Around 3.2 crore people out of 9 crore people in Bengal get rice at Rs 2 per kg. The Centre is not giving funds for ration system. Yet we are giving benefits to people from the state’s finances."