Mamata seeks debt restructuring plan for West Bengal

New Delhi, Oct 22: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today (Oct 22) asked the Centre to treat West Bengal "differently" and sought a debt restructuring plan, saying the state had accumulated a debt burden of almost Rs two lakh crore due to the Left "misrule".

Terming the Maoist menace in the state as a "major problem", she said Centre should give "special treatment" in the 12th five year plan to meet the developmental needs of the affected areas.

"After 34 years of misrule, founded on coercion and violence, the economy of the state is in shambles. Therefore, the 12th Plan must give special attention towards the regeneration of the great state of West Bengal," Banerjee told the National Development Council meeting here.

The state's debt grew from Rs 41,894 crore to Rs 1,91,835 crore, a jump of 457 per cent, between 2000 and now.

"In view of the financial mess that we have inherited, 12th Plan must look at a debt restructuring plan for West Bengal," Banerjee said, adding "no state can be compared to the unfortunate hydra-headed challenges being faced by my state".

Maintaining that Bengal's financial scenario was "unmanageable", she said the situation "can only be corrected by a large infusion of liquidity particularly for non-plan expenditure in the form of liquidity-infusing and grant-based financial package".

Observing that three districts of the state "have a major problem of Left Wing extremism", she said these districts suffered from "severe backwardness" and the Trinamool Congress-led government had taken several initiatives to develop the Jangal Mahal area and hence it looked forward to "special treatment" in the 12th Plan".

PTI