Mamata dares Buddhadeb to face-to-face debate

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today dared West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to a face-to-face debate on the performance of the Railway Ministry under her following allegations by him that it was being run whimsically and was no model for the state.

"In the last one and half years of my tenure what I have done there will be a revolution in Railways. I have given vision to the Railways. Has he given any vision to develop the state? He has done nothing ... Let there be a debate with me face-to-face where I will counter all his allegations," Banerjee told a Bengali TV channel here.

CPI-M could also send its 'experts' for a debate with her, Banerjee said.

Referring to CPI-M's charges against her, she said "I have provided railway connectivity to the entire state. Unless there is good communication, how will infrastructure develop? Duronto trains have been introduced and are also being criticised. I have given 17 industries (for West Bengal). Still, I am being abused as they (CPI-M) are jealous of my performance in Railways.

"I have given notification for employment of 1.87 lakh people. Only because of the Election Commission, the notification (model code of conduct) is stalled. It (the employment process) will start in May-June," she said.

She also described as 'baseless' the chief minister's claim that many of the projects announced by her did not have sanction from the union Finance Ministry and that Railways did not have the money to construct these factories.