Centre taking away West Bengal's earnings for debt servicing: Mamata Banerjee

PURULIA (WEST BENGAL): Amid her long-standing debt waiver demand, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today criticised the Centre for taking away a major chunk of the state's earnings for debt servicing of more than Rs two lakh crore which was affecting the people's welfare projects.

"The money with which we (the state government) will provide drinking water, build roads and give jobs, is being taken away from us (the state exchequer)," Banerjee said while addressing a gathering in connection with the inauguration of several development projects for Purulia district.

"The central government is taking away all the money. In the first year after we came to power, our income was Rs 21,000 crore and Rs 20,000 crore was deducted.

"In the second year, the income was Rs 31,000 crore, but more than Rs 25,000 crore was debited while in the third year the income will be Rs 40,000 crore and the Centre will take away Rs 28,000 crore," she said.

Asking why her government should be made to suffer because of the loans taken by the previous government, the Chief Minister said "Rs one lakh crore has been deducted from the state's coffers towards loan repayment. Every year the amount is rising."

Banerjee had told reporters in Kolkata recently that she was eagerly waiting to see what steps the new government took in this direction.

Earlier, addressing a gathering at Salboni on July 14 in West Midnapur district she had renewed her demand for a waiver of interest on the state's huge debt burden, saying her government had not asked for anything in the railway and general budgets.

"A new government has come. We want the interest on the loans be waived by this government," Banerjee had said adding, "If that is not done, we will launch an intensified movement (against the Centre) over it."