Mamata dubs union budget "anti-people";attacks BJP

West Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee Monday slammed the union budget as anti-people aimed at deceiving the masses and said the BJP talksabout nationalism, but in practice, they are the ones who areselling 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 farmloans 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.

West Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee Monday slammed the union budget as ''anti-people'' aimed at deceiving the masses and said the BJP talksabout nationalism, but in practice, they are the ones who areselling 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 farmloans 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 sellingeverything 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 whileaddressing the inaugural ceremony of Uttar Banga Utsav here.

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

She said that regular increase in petrol and diesel pricesand imposition of cess on these products have severelyaffected the poor people owing to the related price hike ofessential commodities.

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

''During COVID period we paid for transportation of migrantworkers. But, they (BJP) have money for using chartered planesto fly corrupt leaders to New Delhi. This only shows theirtrue colour,'' she said, taking a swipe at the saffron party.

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

The Union Finance minister announced Rs 25,000 crore forroad construction in West Bengal in the budget, includingupgradation of the existing Kolkata-Siliguri highway.

Banerjee asserted that the funds allocated for roaddevelopment in poll-bound West Bengal should instead be givento 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 viaBardhaman and Rampurhat to connect north Bengal with thesouthern districts of the state.

She accused the centre of depriving West Bengal, sayingthat while Assam has been given opportunity for regional airconnectivity, it has denied the same for existing airports inCoochbehar, Malda and Balurghat in the state.

''If you (central government) don't start air services tothese airports, I will do it,'' she said.

The chief minister said that the budget proposal fordisinvestment in the insurance sector will leave the generalpeople uncertain about their future.

''They had promised Rs 15 lakh in your account, but inreality they will take away Rs 15 lakh from you and sell offthe PSU insurance companies,'' she said refering to Modi'spromise on bringing back black money swindled abroad.

She said that privatisation of central PSUs will lead toloss of job security of employees, while asserting that in hergovernment, every job is safe.

Banerjee said that her Finance minister Amit Mitra has toldher that the union budget is ''disguised, camouflaged todeceive the people''.

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

Banerjee claimed that the BJP leadership has reneged on itspre-Lok Sabha election promise of reopening seven tea gardensin north Bengal, while the centre has again announced a Rs1,000 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 isproviding healthcare worth Rs 5 lakh to each family annuallyfor 10 crore people of the state.

Exuding confidence of winning the assembly elections for aconsecutive third term, Banerjee told the gathering, ''don'tworry, Didi will stay and you will get everything''.

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

''This is why I have demanded Kolkata to be made the capitalof the country apart from three more in the country'',she said.

''We have done all development work... a lot of industriesare coming to north Bengal,'' she said, adding that to helpstudents and youth of the state secure their future is hergoal for the next five years.

''I am not ashamed to say that I have lost hands down in theLok Sabha elections in north Bengal. I urge you to come backthis time and bless us,'' she told the audience at theinauguration of the festival.

The BJP won seven out of eight seats in north Bengal in2019 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 onenation, one leader,'' she said.

She said that the centre has called for 'one nation, oneration card', but the West Bengal government could not fullyimplement it owing to COVID pandemic.

''We have done around 40 per cent of the work, but therehas been some delay owing to COVID,'' she said.