Expressing disappointment over the proposals made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his maiden Budget, Trinamool Congress chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata on Thursday that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government at the Centre have become a “government of the FDI, by the FDI and for the FDI”.
“Already, there is FDI in the retail. Now FDI is increased to 49% in Defence, and Insurance Sectors. In addition, disinvestment in banking sector is up to 49%. All these will adversely affect the people of the country,” she said in a social networking site minutes after Budget was tabled in the Parliament.
The Chief Minister said that while her government has set up ‘Kanyashree’ project with Rs 1,000 crore she described it as “ shocking” that an important scheme for girl child ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Parao’ has been announced with only a meagre Rs 100 crore for all states and UTs together.
“Is it not a mockery?” She asked.
Ms. Banerjee rued to the fact that West Bengal having tremendous potential for textiles sector, has not found a place among the six new textiles clusters announced in the Budget.
Stating that the prices of essential commodities like prices of fruits and vegetable and other petroleum products are increasing day by day Ms. Banerjee said that "not a single paisa of allocation" has been increased on 100 days’ work scheme, which serves the poor.
“The budget is vision-less, mission-less and action-less from the angle of the common people. It is not going to stimulate growth and development of the poor,” she said.
The Chief Minister said that in both the budgets (Union Budget and Railway Budget), it is noticeable that West Bengal and so many other states are getting deprived.
“The new government has started functioning with a political vendetta,” she added.
Published - July 10, 2014 04:40 pm IST
