WB Industry Minister urges Pranab to bail out state

Kolkata, Apr 1: In sync with the demand raised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the state Industry and Commerce Minister Partha Chatterjee on Sunday urged Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to "bail out the debt-stressed state".

"I request Pranabda to do his best for the debt-stressed state," Chatterjee said at an Assocham seminar on West Bengal where Mukherjee was present.

"We look forward to you and the Prime Minister to do something for the state. At least, there should be a scheme for changing the financial environment of the state," Chatterjee said in Kolkata on Sunday.

"We hope the Centre will bail out the burden of the state for which this government is not responsible," he said.

He also urged Mukherjee to look into the protest of the jewellers against the imposition of import duty on gold.

"There are 50 lakh people involved in the jewellery trade in the state," he said.

Mukherjee in the Budget had proposed a hike in import duty on gold bars, coins and platinum to 4 per cent from 2 per cent.

PTI