The Trinamul Congress-led coalition government in West Bengal will not run on the basis of any common minimum programme (CMP) unlike the UPA-1 government at the Centre. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee made it clear while chairing the first Cabinet meeting of the new government on Friday.
According to highly-placed sources in the government, irrigation, micro- and small-scale enterprises and textiles minister Manas Bhunia had made the proposal for preparing a CMP of the new government in the Cabinet meeting. The chief minister rejected the proposal immediately.
Ms Banerjee, however, agreed to another proposal of Mr Bhunia, who is also the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president, on intensifying police operations to seize all illegal arms and ammunition across the state. She instructed the police administration to seize all illegal arms and ammunition piled across the state irrespective of political colours of its possessors.
The WBPCC, however, officially denied they had made any such proposal. “It has no basis,” WBPCC general secretary Omprakash Mishra said. In 2004, the four Left parties had extended their support to the UPA-1 government at the Centre on the basis of a CMP. Even the Left parties had played an active role in drafting the CMP.
“A coalition government should always have a CMP and it is a custom. However, I am surprised to see that the Congress-Trinamul Congress alliance government is not talking about drafting a CMP, possibly due to the absolute majority of the Trinamul Congress in the Assembly,” political analyst Amal Mukhopadhyay said.
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Amit Mitra fine, to be out of hospital soon
Age Correspondent
kolkata
May 22: Newly-appointed West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra, undergoing treatment at a private nursing home in south Kolkata, is recovering. The decision on his release will be taken Monday, according to hospital authorities. “He is fine and has been shifted from the intensive therapy unit to a suite,” CEO of Belle Vue Clinic Pradip Tandon said.
He added that the minister underwent a few medical tests.
Based on their results, the medical board observing his condition will take a decision on his release on Monday morning.