Mamata may seek better Plan outlay
Burdened with a debt of over `2 lakh crores, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to seek enhanced Plan outlay in her meeting with the Planning Commission on Tuesday and is also likely to ask for a deferment on the outstanding interest payment. The Plan Panel is also likely to pose serious questions to the West Bengal CM for “poor” implementation of the sub-plan for the minorities, who constitute more than a quarter of the state’s population.
Also, the Plan panel is expected to demand from the state to improve upon the tax GDP ratio, as since Ms Banerjee took charge of the state she has shown reluctance in slapping any new tax.
An internal assessment of the Plan Panel has found that though West Bengal has been drawing excess funds under the heads of various Central schemes, the state has shown poor implementation of the schemes for the minorities, which included upgradation of madrasas, education facilities, vocational training. “The assessment suggests that the state economy has shrunk further and the pace of economic growth is showing signs of a slowdown,” sources said.
While West Bengal is primarily an agrarian economy, share of agriculture in the state GDP has gone down from 24.9 per cent during the Left rule to 20.3 per cent in the recent months, sources said, while adding that industry’s share in the state GDP too has come down to 19.24 per cent from 21.6 per cent earlier.
However, Ms Banerjee is expected to harp on the Left legacy to blame for the poor state of the economy and a bailout from the Centre.
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