Ilambazar (WB), Jul 29 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday took an indirect dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently inaugurated a slew of projects in the state, claiming that the contribution of her government to these was not mentioned.
She said that the city gas project, the foundation stone for which was laid by the PM on July 18 at Durgapur, will have assistance from the state government.
“We gave Rs 54 crore for the road over bridges which were inaugurated, but this was never mentioned,” Banerjee said, without naming the prime minister.
Modi inaugurated two road over bridges constructed under the Setu Bharatam Programme, worth over Rs 380 crore, at Topsi and Pandabeswar in Paschim Bardhaman district.
Banerjee inaugurated several projects through the virtual mode in different parts of the state, including a 10-megawatt solar power unit and a 24-bed hybrid CCU unit at Suri Superspeciality Hospital in Birbhum district.
Nearly two crore people have been brought out of poverty in West Bengal during her government’s tenure, Banerjee said.
The chief minister said that nearly Rs 35,000 crore will be invested in the Deocha Pachami coal mine project, touted to be the largest in Asia, stating that basalt extraction at the site in Birbhum district has already started.
“Global tender has been floated already for the Deocha Pachami coal mine project,” she said.
The CM also inaugurated five bridges over the Tangon river in Malda, which will connect the district with South Dinajpur, replacing five old bridges.
Banerjee said that the ‘Jal Swapno’ project for supply of tapped water to residences is being done, but during the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, it was claimed by the opposition that this was being done with central funds.
“We give 90 per cent of expenses, land is also being given,” she said.
She said that the Centre, which was supposed to provide 40 per cent of funds for the water supply project, has not given any money to the state for the past one year.
Banerjee claimed that funds for the housing project, which has been named “Banglar Bari” by her government, have been stopped for the last three to four years by the Centre.
“But we have made pucca houses replacing nearly 45 lakh kuchha houses, and two tranches have already been paid for 12 lakh mud houses to be turned into pucca houses,” she said.
The chief minister said that 28 lakh more houses will be made with funding from the state government.
The Trinamool Congress supremo alleged that West Bengal was being deprived of funds by the Centre and claimed that its funds were being given to other states for housing projects. (PTI)
