Dasgupta refutes Sonia's allegation on failure of Left Front

Barrackpore, Apr 22 (UNI) West Bengal Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta has refuted the charges levelled by Congress president Sonia Gandhi against the Left Front government's massive industrial failure in the state.

Ms Gandhi on her electioneering for her party candidates on Thursday had alleged the government had destroyed thousands of industrial units in past three decades.

Dr Dasgupta on the other hand accused the Centre for neglecting the state.

Addressing an election rally at his Kharda constituency in North 24 Parganas, Dr Dasgupta said the UPA chairperson was ''ill informed'' about the state. She should have gone through the economic review report published by the Union government before making such comments, he added.

He said the BIFR reports of 2004 indicated that only 381 big industries were declared sick and closed in West Bengal while 5147 units were declared either sick or closed in the country.

Most of them were in Maharashtra, a state being ruled by the Congress-NCP coalition where 1043 big industrial units were closed, he added.

He also criticised the Centre for waiving import taxes on 3000 commodities and opening domestic markets to multinational companies.

Globalisation has led to destruction of local industries, he added.

The Left Front Government had arranged for reopening of at least 79 big industrial units, he said, adding 20 of them have already become functional.

The country needs an alternative economic policy and the Centre should change its policy and resolve the unemployment problem, Mr Dasgupta said.

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