BJP will again get a fitting reply in Bengal for depriving state in  Budget: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, July 23 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the people will once again give a fitting reply to the BJP for leaving the state "completely deprived" in the Union Budget 2024-25.  

“The proposals in the budget are directionless, anti-people, and politically motivated. Bengal has again been deprived. Bengal does not depend on any charity from anyone. But the people of Bengal will not remain silent and roar if anyone seeks to insult the state," she told media persons here on her reaction to the Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament.

Banerjee also said that despite the BJP’s excellent performance from north Bengal in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, that region has been deprived in the budget proposals.

"There is a reference to Sikkim. But there is no reference to Darjeeling. I am not objecting to Sikkim getting anything in the budget. But why has Darjeeling been deprived?" she asked.

The Chief Minister said that BJP is keeping its allies in confidence by giving them money. "I do not know why the allies are accepting them. The allies are sacrificing ministerial berths against money. I have no objection to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar getting money. After all, they are too Indian states. But why has one been deprived to fulfill the wish of the other?" she said.

She said that the West Bengal government is yet to get Rs 1.75 lakh crore from the Union government under different centrally sponsored schemes. She also criticised the Budget for allegedly lacking specific blueprinting regarding the 100-day job scheme under MGNREGA. "There is no specific line of employment generation either," she said.