Buddha questions Mamata''s claim on employment in railways

Bongaon (WB), Jan 12 (PTI) Questioning RailwayMinister Mamata Banerjee''s claim that she has cleared abacklog of 2.3 lakh vacancies in her department, West BengalChief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said not a singleperson has been employed.

"There are two lakh vacancies. Not a single person hasgot employment in the Railways. What is happening in theRailways," Bhattacharjee said at a public meeting here.

Every day there is announcement in the papers that newfactories are being set up by the Railways. But where are thefunds," he asked.

Banerjee had stated at a railway programme at BudgeBudge yesterday that there was a backlog of 2.3 lakh vacanciesin the Railways which were cleared by her and that the vacantposts would be filled.

Earlier on January nine at a rally at Singur,Bhattacharjee had also questioned jobs in the Railways andclaimed that Banerjee was being untruthful and taking herresponsibilities lightly as the Railway Minister.

Accusing Trinamool Congress of trying to createtrouble in the state, Bhattacharjee exhorted the people,especially the poor not to have faith on the TC and Congress.

Noting that both the opposition parties were those ofthe rich, he said, "Congress and Trinamool Congress are forthe rich. Don''t make a mistake. Don''t believe them. We are notthe party for the rich.

"We are not born to be ministers. We launched astruggle on the streets for the poor. We have reached Writers''Building through our struggle. We never ditched the poor."

Ridiculing Trinamool''s slogan for bringing in''change'', he asked "what does it mean? We have achievedsuccess in agriculture, we have set up the panchayat system inthe state. Will they change it? In the name of bringingchange, we will not allow them to destroy these."

Expressing his resolve to continue with theindustrialisation drive, he said, "They have stopped us at the(Tata Motors) factory at Singur. It harmed the state. ButSingur is an exception. They cannot stop industrialisation inthe state. The largest steel plant is being set up atSalboni."

Reiterating his charge of a TC-Maoist link, he said,"Trinamool has joined hands with Maoists when we are trying tostop them." PTI SUN PC