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Bengal Ministers attack Singhvi
The Trinamool Congress, on Monday upped the ante against UPA ally Congress strongly refuting its spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi’s claims that the Centre had adequately responded to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s demands for funds and alleged that New Delhi’s insensitivity towards the State’s financial woes had “only pushed us into a bigger crisis.”
Singhvi had on Monday rejected Banerjee’s claim of neglect against Bengal and insisted the Centre had “already given `7,800 crore to be specific within these few months” insisting “it is wrong to say that the State has been ignored.”
The Trinamool on Monday mounted a two-pronged attack led by Finance Minister Amit Mitra and Food Minister Jyoti Priya Mullick.
Mitra threw out Singhvi’s claim saying the Congress leader was rattling out “absolutely incorrect information.” Claiming that the Bengal Government had “not yet received a single paisa from the Centre” he advised him to “correct himself” as “he may be a good lawyer but he may not understand economics at all.”
The State Finance Minister alleged “the Centre is extracting `22,000 crore every year from the State Government as interest on debt taken by the earlier Government. This has only multiplied our financial woes at a time when we are trying to carry out developmental works.” The State wanted the Centre to “give a moratorium” on repaying the debt so that we can lift our economy.
Food Minister Mullick appeared more forthright as he alleged “lobbyists” had colonised Delhi. The Centre was not giving funds for the State to buy paddy from the farmers provoking in turn an agrarian crisis, he alleged. “We need a one time grant of `2,000 crore but the Centre is not giving it,” he said, insisting he would not visit the Capital to attend a meeting scheduled to be held on February 8 and 9 and “send my officers instead as it is futile to go to Delhi which is home to lobbyists and I cannot indulge in that dirty game.”
The Trinamool counter-attack apart, the Congress tended to wield a stick and dangle the carrot before its ally as it followed from Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s statements on Monday. A day after Singhvi’s tough-talk Mukherjee praised the Bengal Chief Minister for her “good works in trying to control inflation.”
On Sunday, Singhvi had refuted Banerjee’s charges of Central neglect and justified the Congress’ “constructive criticism” of the State Government as “it would be betrayal to the confidence reposed on us by the people of Bengal if our party doesn’t criticise the State Government on the issues which affect the common man.”
A day later Mukherjee said “supply side constraints are a reason for high inflation” and praised Banerjee as she “herself intervened as a result supply constraints were improved to a certain extent.”
Addressing a FICCI seminar, the Finance Minister said the Centre was taking more positive steps in controlling inflation and ensuring a lasting growth adding he was “happy that the inflation has come down to 7.47 per cent and I believe it will continue (to come down) till March.”
The Trinamool Congress, on Monday upped the ante against UPA ally Congress strongly refuting its spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi’s claims that the Centre had adequately responded to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s demands for funds and alleged that New Delhi’s insensitivity towards the State’s financial woes had “only pushed us into a bigger crisis.”
Singhvi had on Monday rejected Banerjee’s claim of neglect against Bengal and insisted the Centre had “already given `7,800 crore to be specific within these few months” insisting “it is wrong to say that the State has been ignored.”
The Trinamool on Monday mounted a two-pronged attack led by Finance Minister Amit Mitra and Food Minister Jyoti Priya Mullick.
Mitra threw out Singhvi’s claim saying the Congress leader was rattling out “absolutely incorrect information.” Claiming that the Bengal Government had “not yet received a single paisa from the Centre” he advised him to “correct himself” as “he may be a good lawyer but he may not understand economics at all.”
The State Finance Minister alleged “the Centre is extracting `22,000 crore every year from the State Government as interest on debt taken by the earlier Government. This has only multiplied our financial woes at a time when we are trying to carry out developmental works.” The State wanted the Centre to “give a moratorium” on repaying the debt so that we can lift our economy.
Food Minister Mullick appeared more forthright as he alleged “lobbyists” had colonised Delhi. The Centre was not giving funds for the State to buy paddy from the farmers provoking in turn an agrarian crisis, he alleged. “We need a one time grant of `2,000 crore but the Centre is not giving it,” he said, insisting he would not visit the Capital to attend a meeting scheduled to be held on February 8 and 9 and “send my officers instead as it is futile to go to Delhi which is home to lobbyists and I cannot indulge in that dirty game.”
The Trinamool counter-attack apart, the Congress tended to wield a stick and dangle the carrot before its ally as it followed from Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s statements on Monday. A day after Singhvi’s tough-talk Mukherjee praised the Bengal Chief Minister for her “good works in trying to control inflation.”
On Sunday, Singhvi had refuted Banerjee’s charges of Central neglect and justified the Congress’ “constructive criticism” of the State Government as “it would be betrayal to the confidence reposed on us by the people of Bengal if our party doesn’t criticise the State Government on the issues which affect the common man.”
A day later Mukherjee said “supply side constraints are a reason for high inflation” and praised Banerjee as she “herself intervened as a result supply constraints were improved to a certain extent.”
Addressing a FICCI seminar, the Finance Minister said the Centre was taking more positive steps in controlling inflation and ensuring a lasting growth adding he was “happy that the inflation has come down to 7.47 per cent and I believe it will continue (to come down) till March.”
