Congress describes state budget as directionless

Kolkata, July 03 (UNI) Opposition Congress members of the West Bengal Assembly today charged the state Finance minister with presenting a 'directionless' budget for 2006-07, which is devoid of any scope for major employment generation.

Initiating the fortnight-long discussion on budget proposals for the current fiscal in the House today, Congress Chief Whip Manas Bhunia and his party colleague Asit Mal and others charged the state government with heading towards a bankrupcy in the wake of huge unplanned expenditure in different heads for the part many years.

Armed with government statistics Dr Bhunia was bent on proving that huge sums of money was returned to the centre every year without being spend leading to inadequate growth in these sectors.These sectors were rural electrification, minor irrigation,education, health and rural development, he said.

Referring to the growing deficit trends in revenue generation and planned expenditure, Dr Bhunia said becuase of lack of any proper fiscal discipline the state was heading towards a huge debt trap.

'' Already West Bengal government has earned the distinction of becoming India'a second highest borrowers of more than Rs 125,000 crores after Uttar Pradesh, '' he said.

But in terms of all round development and fiscal health West Bengal was lagging far behind Maharashtra,Gujarat,Rajasthan,Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and several other states, the Congress leader said and blamed the faulty government policy for this gradual decay.

He also ridiculed the ongoing industrial rejuvenation programme of the state government and urged the Finance minister to bring back the alleged fauly economic policy in the name of alternative fiscal policy on the developmental path.

However, participating in the subsequent discussions members of the ruling coalition including Mr Rishi Halder, Mr Mahendra Kumar Roy and Mr Jhagir Karim of the CPI(M), Mr Trapada Banerjee of All India Forward Bloc, Mr Biswanath Banerjee of the RSP and Mr Santosh Rana of CPI opposed the charges levelled by the Congress Chief Whip and highlighted the long list of developmental activities and economic growth in the state during the past 30 yeatrs Left Front rule.

Making comparison between the previous congress rule and that of the Left Front in rural development,employment generation, growth in SME sectors and industrial development the ruling party members claimed that during the past three decades the growth was substantial in every sector.

As a result of a successful Panchayeti raj the villagers in West Bengal were now much more wealthier, more educated and healthier in all respect, the ruling party members claimed in unison.

The debate will continue till the end of next week.

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