Mamata focus on Naxal-hit areas
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday stayed clear of controversies surrounding the Teesta water-sharing issue and Tin Bigha and alleged that there were some people behind the confusion.
Ms Banerjee, in her speech at the National Development Council (NDC), said that the Maoist menace is a major problem in her state and sought special treatment in the 12th Five-Year Plan to meet the developmental needs of Left-wing extremism-affected areas.
The West Bengal chief minister maintained that India and Bangladesh have good relations and there was no question of differences on the issues of the Teesta river-water sharing or the Tin Bigha land corridor.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NDC meeting, Ms Banerjee also said that Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh had shown good intent by offering to take up developmental works in the Maoist-affected Jangalmahal area in the state.
Ms Banerjee maintained that she is “very much against bloodshed” and wants the Maoists to join the mainstream. “They are our brothers and sisters. They should come forward and join the national mainstream. We will give them full package,” said Ms Banerjee.
She also denied any shift in the strategy of the Maoists to oppose her government.
“It is not true. Their sister organisations contested elections against us. They contested Parliament elections and also Assembly elections,” said Ms Banerjee.
She also disagreed with the contention of Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa that the “NDC is useless”, as she said: “It is not a political platform, but one where any state can raise the issue of development.”
In her speech, the West Bengal chief minister asked the Centre to treat the state differently.
Ms Banerjee sought a debt restructuring plan by stressing the fact that West Bengal had accumulated a debt burden of almost `2 lakh crore due.
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