Kolkata, Feb 6 Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Friday questioned the practicality of announcing enhanced payments under various welfare schemes of the state government in the interim (vote on account) budget presented in the House by Minister of State for Finance (Independent Charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya on Thursday.
According to him, the state government can neither announce any enhancement in payments under welfare schemes in an interim budget nor determine the number of beneficiaries under those schemes.
“So naturally, the state government cannot make any budgetary allocation under such schemes. Secondly, the enhanced payments announced in the interim budget under these schemes will be effective from April 1 this year. But by then, the model code of conduct would be in force, as the polling dates for the Assembly elections would be announced. So in reality, the state government has misled the people by making such announcements in the interim budget,” the Leader of the Opposition told mediapersons on Friday evening.
He also pointed out that the current state Cabinet does not have any authority to implement these announcements.
“It can only be implemented by the new Cabinet formed after the elections, after presenting the full budget on the floor of the Assembly. The state government has rather used the interim budget as Trinamool Congress’ election manifesto,” he said.
According to him, such attempts to mislead people by making announcements in the interim budget reflect Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s fear of defeat in the forthcoming Assembly polls.
“Because of the same fear of defeat, she has been opposing the special intensive revision in West Bengal. Now, out of desperation, she is making such misleading announcements in the interim budget,” he said.
He further alleged that misleading people has been a pattern of the Chief Minister.
“Earlier, she did the same thing by describing NRC and CAA as the same thing. She did the same thing regarding the implementation of the Waqf (Amendment) Act,” he added.
--IANS
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