A state-wide protest against "deprivation" by the Centre will take place in West Bengal on August 6. Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday, announced the block- and ward-level protests by the Trinamool supporters.
The announcement comes following an official acknowledgement of the state’s “deprivation” at the Centre’s hands, through a motion passed in the state legislative assembly on August 1.
The Trinamool’s protest against the deprivation – that’s allegedly affecting different sections of the society – will take place from 12 noon to 4 pm, in the form of sit-ins. “This is a political programme, absolutely,” Banerjee said while addressing the press.
Countering opinions her government is often subjected to, Banerjee said that the Bengal government’s work has been acknowledged by the Centre, and organisations, with the state having received several awards.
Talking about debt, Banerjee said that the newer states don’t have this problem, whereas Bengal has carried forward the legacy of the former CPI(M)-led government. Bengal’s chief secretary HK Dwivedi, who was also present with the chief minister, said that the loan is a factor of the gross domestic product (GDP) – and in the context of the gross state domestic product, Bengal’s debt to GDP ratio has got reduced to 33 per cent, from that of 40 per cent in 2011.
“The state has done remarkably well in terms of debt management,” he said. Dwivedi mentioned how the state’s budget allocation has increased four times since 2010-11, and how its own revenue has also increased more than four times. The state has been able to enhance its capital expenditure over 15 times, and other state parameters have also been in check.
Banerjee – mentioning Centre’s own debt – reiterated that despite having performed well, and offering clarity, the state still stands deprived of the central funds with dues Rs 7,000 crore, pending still.