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Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • ‘Union Budget a deception for masses’: Mamata Banerjee slams Centre

    By PTI
    SILIGURI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday slammed the union budget as “anti- people” aimed at deceiving the masses and said the BJP talks about nationalism, but in practice, they are the ones who are selling resources of the nation to the private players.

    Reiterating the demand for withdrawal of new agri laws, Banerjee wondered why the Centre is hesitant to write off farm loans if it can waive NPAs running into crores of rupees.

    “They (BJP) lecture others on nationalism, but in practice, they are the ones who sell the nation. They are selling everything from PSUs, Insurance, Railways to Ports. This is a budget to deceive the masses. It’s anti-farmer, anti-people and anti-country budget,” Banerjee said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Uttar Banga Utsav here.

    Speaking about agri infrastructure cess, Banerjee said, “They are now implementing a new cess. Revenues earned through cess are taken by the centre and not shared with the states”.

    READ| Wisdom over poetic flourish: Sitharaman on the ball with India’s 100th budget

    She said that regular increase in petrol and diesel prices and imposition of cess on these products have severely affected the poor people owing to the related price hike of essential commodities.

    Taking a dig at the saffron party for sending a chartered plane to fly TMC leaders to Delhi for induction into the saffron camp, Banerjee mockingly said they do not have money to pay for the travel of migrant workers but have money to fly corrupt leaders in chartered aircraft.

    “During COVID period we paid for transportation of migrant workers. But, they (BJP) have money for using chartered planes to fly corrupt leaders to New Delhi. This only shows their true colour,” she said, taking a swipe at the saffron party.

    Maintaining that a Rs 3,200 crore project for north-south road connectivity between Siliguri and Kolkata in the state is already in progress, Banerjee said that when her government is already implementing it, what more is there for the central government to do.

    The Union Finance minister announced Rs 25,000 crore for road construction in West Bengal in the budget, including upgradation of the existing Kolkata-Siliguri highway.

    Banerjee asserted that the funds allocated for road development in poll-bound West Bengal should instead be given to the farmers.

    “There is no need, I will do it on our own in the state. Don’t do such politics during elections,” she said.

    Banerjee said that work on another road link is also on via Bardhaman and Rampurhat to connect north Bengal with the southern districts of the state.

    She accused the centre of depriving West Bengal, saying that while Assam has been given opportunity for regional air connectivity, it has denied the same for existing airports in Coochbehar, Malda and Balurghat in the state.

    “If you (central government) don’t start air services to these airports, I will do it,” she said.

    The chief minister said that the budget proposal for disinvestment in the insurance sector will leave the general people uncertain about their future.

    “They had promised Rs 15 lakh in your account, but in reality they will take away Rs 15 lakh from you and sell off the PSU insurance companies,” she said refering to Modi’s promise on bringing back black money swindled abroad.

    She said that privatisation of central PSUs will lead to loss of job security of employees, while asserting that in her government, every job is safe.

    Banerjee said that her Finance minister Amit Mitra has told her that the union budget is “disguised, camouflaged to deceive the people”.

    She claimed only a chosen few close to BJP are being given control of all the businesses while others are suffering.

    Banerjee claimed that the BJP leadership has reneged on its pre-Lok Sabha election promise of reopening seven tea gardens in north Bengal, while the centre has again announced a Rs 1,000 crore package for tea gardens in the budget.

    Maintaining that the TMC government’s “Swasthya Sathi” health insurance programme is a success, she said, it is providing healthcare worth Rs 5 lakh to each family annually for 10 crore people of the state.

    Exuding confidence of winning the assembly elections for a consecutive third term, Banerjee told the gathering, “don’t worry, Didi will stay and you will get everything”.

    She claimed that Bengal has become the guiding star of India and the whole world is saying it is the future of the country.

    “This is why I have demanded Kolkata to be made the capital of the country apart from three more in the country”,she said.

    “We have done all development work. a lot of industries are coming to north Bengal,” she said, adding that to help students and youth of the state secure their future is her goal for the next five years.

    “I am not ashamed to say that I have lost hands down in the Lok Sabha elections in north Bengal.

    I urge you to come back this time and bless us,” she told the audience at the inauguration of the festival.

    The BJP won seven out of eight seats in north Bengal in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, while one went to the Congress.

    “I am astonished as to how such a vindictive government, which wants to sell off the country can talk of patriotism.

    They are selling off the country and are talking of one nation, one leader,” she said.

    She said that the centre has called for ‘one nation, one ration card’, but the West Bengal government could not fully implement it owing to COVID pandemic.

    “We have done around 40 per cent of the work, but there has been some delay owing to COVID,” she said.

  • CM Mamata Banerjee inaugurates ‘Joyee’ bridge, cement plant in north Bengal

    By PTI
    SILIGURI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday inaugurated a slew of projects in the northern districts of the state, including a 3.29 km-long bridge over river Teesta and a cement plant.

    Constructed at a cost of Rs 500 crore, ‘Joyee’ bridge over river Teesta connects Haldibari and Mekhliganj in Coochbehar district, reducing the distance between the two towns from 85 km to a mere five km, Banerjee said.

    “Work to develop Infrastructure is being undertaken across the state. A number of bridges and roads are being built in various places,” she said after virtually inaugurating the projects from Uttar Banga Utsav ground here.

    The chief minister, on the occasion, also inaugurated a Rs 450-crore cement plant at Mohitnagar in Jalpaiguri district, a few youth hostels, and a number of electricity sub-stations in the northern districts, including one in Malda, which has been set up at a cost of Rs 80 crore.

    “This cement plant will generate employment for 7,000 people,” Banerjee said.

    She also threw open to public ‘Devi Kamteswari’ bridge over river Mansai, built at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

    The bridge connects Dinhata and Sitai towns in Coochbehar district.

    These apart, an overbridge at Phulbari in Jalpaiguri, set up at an expenditure of Rs 45 crore, was also unveiled by the TMC supremo.

    Banerjee said that education hubs would soon be coming up at Dow Hill and Mongpu, and a hill campus of the Presidency University was being set up at Kurseong in Darjeeling district.

  • BJP a gas balloon alive only in the media: Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at the BJP calling it “a gas balloon alive only in the media” and a “washing machine” for those with ill got money.

    She said those who have quit TMC and joined BJP have done so to secure the money they have accumulated.

    Banerjee said she had already decided not to give them tickets in the coming assembly elections had they stayed on in TMC.

    “There is nothing to worry about. The government of ‘Ma-Mati-Manush’ (TMC slogan) will retain power in the state. BJP is a gas balloon, alive only in the media. They have money and are using agencies to put up (party) flags on the streets. Let them do so and stay alive in the media. TMC will stay alive in your hearts. You assure me this and I will ensure you a (good) future,” she said while speaking at the ‘State level meet of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation’ held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.

    “Dacoits have suddenly accumulated so much money. Now they are approaching the ‘BJP washing machine’ where they are entering black and coming out white. They are going there for money and nothing else. I would not have given them the ticket to fight the elections. Why should I give tickets to those who have done bad work! People will be happy if I give tickets to new people instead of to these people,” B Anerjee, who is also the TMC supremo said.

    Hitting out at the NDA government at the Centre, she accused it for not purchasing adequate quantity of paddy from West Bengal.

    “I have a complaint. The central government talks big. But the rice provided to the people by the FCI is rotten. The central government purchases several lakh tonnes of rice from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh whereas it buys only 69,000 tonnes of rice from West Bengal. The state government purchases 45 to 50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from the farmers, spends Rs 31 per kg to prepare it (convert it into rice) and sends it to be distributed free of cost by PDS. This is not there in any of the other states,” she said.

    Banerjee announced extension of the ration dealers’ licence from the regular period of one year to three years.

    She said that the government will provide Rs two lakh as comepnsation to the family of a ration dealer in the event of the person’s death.

    Banerjee also reduced the application fee to procure licence for new ration dealership from Rs five lakh to Rs two lakh.

  • Those saying Abhishek will be next Bengal CM are trying to create confusion: Trinamool hits back at Shah

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress said on Sunday that Mamata Banerjee will be the chief minister of West Bengal for the third time when the party is voted to power, asserting that those suggesting her nephew Abhishek Banerjee will be appointed to the top post are trying to create confusion.

    Speaking to reporters, senior TMC MP and spokesperson Saugata Roy said that the party has made it clear time and again that it is contesting the upcoming elections with Banerjee as the chief ministerial face.

    “Everyone knows that Mamata Banerjee will be our chief minister for the third time. How can Amit Shah make such a claim? There has been no talk in the party to appoint Abhishek as the future CM. Such claims are only aimed to create confusion,” Roy said.

    Addressing a BJP rally in Howrah virtually, Shah claimed that the agenda of the TMC dispensation is to make Banerjee’s nephew the next chief minister of the state.

    Hitting out at BJP leader Rajib Banerjee, Roy said that people like him are certainly “traitors” as they enjoyed every benefit of staying in power and deserted the party just before the elections.

    Rajib, who switched over to the BJP from TMC on Saturday, told the rally in Howrah that the more the leaders who changed sides are called traitors, the more they will get people’s support.

    Speaking at a press conference, TMC leader and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that leaders who are coming to the state ahead of the elections to “mislead the people” are justly called “outsiders”, in an apparent reference to Shah.

    She said people of different communities living in the state are not branded “outsiders” by her party, but those coming to the state for making false claims.

    Without naming anyone, Bhattacharya said MPs from Uttar Pradesh, “an unemployed” politician from Madhya Pradesh, a leader from Gujarat are coming to the state before the polls to mislead the people.

  • RJD says in talks with Trinamool Congress to fight West Bengal polls together, TMC denies

    By PTI
    KOLKATA:  Bihar’s main opposition party RJD said on Sunday that it is in talks with the Trinamool Congress to fight the upcoming West Bengal elections together, but leaders of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party claimed that no such discussions are underway.

    RJD leaders claimed that the party’s principal general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui and national general secretary Shyam Rajak are in Kolkata to hammer a tie-up with the TMC for the Bengal polls. “We will be meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday to fight Bengal elections together,” Rajak told PTI.

    Siddiqui and Rajak met RJD leaders in the state ahead of the discussions with Banerjee. However, TMC leaders said that no talks of any tie-up with the RJD for the West Bengal polls are underway. RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary said over the phone from Patna that the party is exploring the possibility of contesting some seats on the Bengal-Bihar border.

    However, he did not give any numbers on which the party is planning to fight the state elections, likely in April-May. Banerjee has cordial relation with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and the party wishes to strengthen her hands in the Bengal polls, Tiwary said.

    He added that the primary objective of the RJD is to stop the “communal” BJP from increasing its influence in West Bengal and strengthen the secular forces under the leadership of the TMC chief.

    Though not a noticeable player in Bengal politics, the RJD, which emerged as the largest party in the recently concluded Bihar polls and enjoys considerable support among the Muslims besides the Yadavs, is eyeing a few seats on the inter-state border that have a sizeable number of Hindi- speaking voters.

    RJD had an MLA in the Bengal assembly between 2006 and 2011 during the Left Front rule.

  • Mamata hoodwinking farmers ahead of polls on Centre’s scheme: Amit Shah

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of hoodwinking the state’s farmers by not providing their details despite announcing that her government was ready to allow Centre’s scheme for ryots.

    While addressing a virtual rally in Howrah, Shah alleged that Mamata duped the farmers on two occasions — first by not allowing PM Kishan Nidhi in Bengal for the past two years and now by not providing details of the farmers who are keen on availing the scheme.

    “After depriving farmers for the past two years, Mamatadidi said she would allow the PM Kishan Nidhi scheme in Bengal. When the Centre asked her to send the details of the farmers, she did not respond. Do you think that people of Bengal do not understand your tricks? You are trying to hoodwink the poor farmers of your state by not sharing their details with the Centre,” said Shah in his speech welcoming newly inducted Trinamool Congress’ turncoats.

    The Union Minister had to cancel his two-day Bengal visit following a blast near the Israel Embassy in Delhi.

    Earlier in January, Mamata had said that the Centre claimed around 21.7 lakh farmers from Bengal registered themselves on a portal to avail the benefits of the central scheme. “They (the Centre) have sought verification of this data. I understood the Centre is trying to politicise the matter. We realised the farmers should not suffer because of this. I have asked the Centre to pass on the data so that we can start the verification process,” she had said.

    A face-off between the central government and Mamata Banerjee ensued on the central scheme issue as the Bengal government wanted the Centre to transfer the fund to the state’s account and disburse it among the farmers by using the state’s machinery. But the Centre wanted to transfer the money directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.

    Refuting Shah’s allegation, TMC minister and spokesperson Chandrima Bhattacharya said the Centre did not send the farmers’ list despite the chief minister’s request.

    Hitting out at the Bengal CM for barring Centre’s Ayshman Bharat health insurance scheme, Shah assured that after wresting power in Bengal the scheme would be introduced in the state. “Today I am promising that after coming to power in Bengal, the Ayushman Bharat scheme will be allowed in Bengal in the first cabinet meeting,” he said.

    The Union Home minister lashed out at Mamata for violence in Bengal and allowing infiltrators to settle down.

    As Shah cancelled his Bengal visit, textile minister Smriti Irani was present in the Howrah rally where other than the TMC lawmakers, 25 ruling party functionaries of Zilla Parishad, municipalities and gram panchayats joined the BJP. Smriti, in her speech, castigated Mamata for not allowing migrant workers to enter Bengal during the lockdown and misusing the Centre’s financial assistance to the state government as a relief for cyclone Amphan victims.

  • Mamata’s poll strategy: Showcase development, brand BJP as outsiders’ party

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Drawing the battleline with the arch-rival BJP, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has directed her party functionaries to adopt twin strategies to counter the saffron party’s inroads in Bengal — showcase government’s slew of development schemes and portray the saffron camp as a party of “outsiders” which is against the sentiment of Bengali-speaking people.

    In a meeting with the party’s core committee members, MPs, and MLAs on Friday, Mamata Banerjee reportedly said, “We will showcase the development works, schemes for the people of Bengal, and the volume of beneficiaries. This campaign will have to be carried out at the grass-root level. At the same time, we will not miss opportunities to label the BJP as a party comprising outsiders and their acts that hurt Bengali speaking people’s sentiment.”

    ALSO READ | Bengal polls: Second phase of exodus from TMC likely during Amit Shah’s visit

    The Bengal CM never missed a chance to describe the state visit of BJP heavyweights such as Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the national president JP Nadda as a ‘tour of outsiders’.

    On the issue of the rebellious party functionaries, the TMC chief took a stern stance saying she would take disciplinary action if any leader issued a statement revealing his/her discontent.

    “She has now taken a hard stance as her repeated discussions with her former aide Suvendu Adhikari and former minister Rajib Banerjee were proved to be futile. Adhikari joined the BJP and since then, he is hitting out at the CM. Now Rajib Banerjee is all set to jump the ship to the saffron camp. Today, she has delivered a message to shut the party’s door for the rebellious leaders and functionaries,” said a TMC leader.   

  • Bengal polls: Second phase of exodus from TMC likely during Amit Shah’s visit

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Poll-bound West Bengal is likely to witness another phase of the exodus from the ruling Trinamool Congress to BJP during Union Home minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit starting from Saturday. 

    At least two MPs, four MLAs, including a former TMC minister, along with 20 other party functionaries are said to be all set to join the BJP.

    Former minister for forest affairs Rajib Banerjee, who stepped down from Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet on January 22 and resigned from the post of MLA and gave up party membership on Friday, has triggered speculations of his defection to the saffron camp.

    During Shah’s Bengal visit last month, six TMC MLAs and a sitting MP joined the BJP along with 45 other district level functionaries.

    “The second round of defection from the TMC will take place during Shah’s rally at Dumurjala stadium in Howrah district on January 31, a day after the Union Home minister’s rally at Bongaon, North 24-Parganas. The upcoming event will be another blow to the TMC ahead of the crucial 2021 Assembly elections,” said a BJP leader.

    Sources in the BJP said other than Banerjee, Baishali Dalmiya, Bally TMC MLA and the daughter of former cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was expelled from the party last week for supporting the former minister, former sports minister Lakshmi Ratan Shukla and Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghosal are queuing up to join the saffron camp on Sunday.

    The Bengal BJP, however, decided to cancel Shah’s roadshow at Uluberia, Howrah, on Sunday as two events were scheduled in the same district. “The Union Home Minister was scheduled to be in the roadshow after addressing a rally at the Dumurjala stadium. Since both the events are in the same district, the participation of our supporters in the roadshow will not be like the previous occasions. The presence of inadequate supporters will send a message to our rival camps,” said another BJP leader.

    Shah and BJP’s national president JP Nadda had recently held roadshows in Bolpur and Burdwan respectively where a large number of BJP supporters turned up.

  • Dhankhar raises concern over Mamata’s reference to relations with non-Bengali bureaucrats

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday raised concern over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s reference to her relations with non-Bengali bureaucrats in a bid to woo Hindi-speaking voters ahead of the assembly elections due in April-May.

    Banerjee, while interacting with Hindi-speakers at the TMC headquarters on Thursday, had said that many of her officers like DGP Virendra, former chief secretary Rajiva Sinha and former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar are from other states and they share excellent relations with her.

    Reiterating that the political neutrality of bureaucrats has been compromised, the governor asserted that the official positioning of the state government cannot be on considerations of regionalism.

    “Why in name of officials! Why drag administration @HomeBengal & police @WBPolice in this! Surely official positioning @MamataOfficial cannot be on such considerations of regionalism or otherwise. Time to set high standards as already there was abysmal low in earlier elections,” Dhankhar tweeted.

    During the interaction, Banerjee had accused the BJP of creating a Bengali-non-Bengali divide and urged the Hindi- speaking voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the ruling party in the state.

    Sharing a video of Banerjee’s reference to the officials, Dhankhar tweeted: “Deeply concerned and disturbed at video @MamataOfficial-attention drawn by political & otherwise worried quarters.

    Alarming scenario! ‘POLITICAL NEUTRALITY’ @WBPolice @HomeBengal being compromised & political commitment promoted.

    This aberration augurs ill for fair election.

  • Rajib Banerjee quits as MLA, thanks CM Mamata for ‘opportunity to serve masses’

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Senior TMC leader Rajib Banerjee, who recently quit the Mamata Banerjee cabinet in Bengal, on Friday resigned from the post of MLA.

    Banerjee, who represented the Domjur assembly seat, met Speaker Biman Banerjee at the state Assembly and submitted his resignation letter.

    “I have resigned as the MLA of the state assembly. I submitted my resignation letter to the speaker. I thank my party supremo Mamata Banerjee for providing me the opportunity to serve the masses,” Banerjee, a two-time MLA, said.

    “In the days to come, I would continue to serve the people of the Domjur constituency,” he added