Mamata Banerjee spelt out her wish-list from the centre, both on the political front and the financial.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not get an opportunity to speak at the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Just hours later, she, however, spelt out her wish-list from the centre, both on the political front and the financial.
"There is only burning, there is no earning for the state government. Everything has been stopped. It is not only a lockdown. It is a total lockout for the state government earning. So how do we spend the money for COVID-19 or for any other purpose," Ms Banerjee said at a press meet at the state secretariat.
No financial demands have been met, the Chief Minister said. "We have demanded that FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) be raised by 3 to 5 per cent. It has not been done. The 15th Finance Commission report was made before the COVID-19 crisis. Now everything has changed."
"How will the states manage? They (centre) have stopped all the money flow. Only bhashan (speeches) will not do. You have to give ration to the people too. By ration, I don't mean just rice but everything that people need to survive. What about salaries? Where will that come from unless we get money? All revenue has stopped. Only burning, no earning?" Mamata Banerjee added.
Politically, Ms Banerjee made no secret of her growing impatience with the centre's interventions.
"I don't want political pollution with the centre," she said. "We will follow all central guidelines to fight COVID-19. But everything should be proper, transparent and I hope there should be no political interference in the intervention."
"I know that at this time, we should not fight with each other but fight with the virus. But the centre also must not do politics," she said adding, "Why send the central teams to Bengal at a time like this? Anyone can come at any time but not for non-cooperation."
The two central teams that arrived in Bengal last week are still in the state. The central team in Kolkata was not given any liaison officer or a police escort. It went visiting to east Midnapore district with support from the Border Security Force (BSF).
The team is clearly a thorn in the flesh for Mamata Banerjee at a time the financial crisis is also beginning to hurt. Unlike some other states, West Bengal paid full salary to government employees last month. But with no revenues coming in, the state, which has already placed a demand for Rs 50,000 crore due from the centre, is sure to feel a squeeze.
At Monday's meeting with PM Modi, a few out of the nine states that got the opportunity to speak brought up financial issues. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy was among those who demanded a special financial package for all states.