West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a meeting with Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday to discuss the financial condition of the state government. This proposed meeting assumes significance as the Congress and the Trinamul Congress have alleged that the earlier Left Front government has made the state bankrupt.
After the Cabinet meeting, Ms Banerjee said: “I will meet Mr Mukherjee at his Kolkata residence on Sunday to discuss the financial situation of the state. The state finance minister, chief secretary and finance secretary will also attend this official meeting.”
On being asked whether the state government would seek any package from the Centre to bail it out from the financial problem, she said: “It is yet to be decided.”
Ms Banerjee, however, quickly added that the earlier Left Front government had almost dried up the state exchequer.
“The cumulative total debt of the state government now stands at over `2 lakh crores. The earlier government had increased the debt manifold during its last few months of tenure. The state finance minister has been working on the exact figure of the debt. However, we have arranged funds to pay salaries to the employees for the next three months. We have also withdrawn the embargo which was imposed by the earlier government on release of funds to give rice at subsidised rate to poor people,” she announced.
The state Cabinet has also decided to increase the budget of the North Bengal Development Council from `60 crores to `200 crores an year. “An office of the chief minister’s secretariat will be set up in North Bengal,” Ms Banerjee said.
On being asked about her commitment to resolve the Darjeeling problem in three months’ time, she said: “We will have to resolve the problem. Three MLAs from the Darjeeling Hills, along with their leader (Bimal Gurung), will meet me tomorrow.”
On the Singur issue, Ms Banerjee said that the agreement between the Tata Motors and the earlier Left Front government would soon be made public. “I have not seen the papers in details. State commerce and industries minister Partha Chatterjee will study those papers and inform me about details. Let him study the papers. I have asked him to share the details of the agreement with the media after a day,” Ms Banerjee said. She also reiterated that the government was examining all ways to return 400 acres land to the unwilling farmers at Singur.
“The Tatas are welcome if they want to set up their facility on the rest 600 acres,” she added.
Meanwhile, on the invitation of the state government, Sachar Committee chairman Rajinder Sachar will come to the state in June.