False promises can't bring Acche din, says Mamata
Kolkata/Darjeeling: Achhe din nahi, saab se kaala din chaal raha hain (Dark days are here as opposed to the promised prosperous ones), stated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurances of a bright future.
"Acche din is a myth. One cannot achieve achhe din based on lies. One has to achieve such days through sheer hard work, sincerity and truth. In the last four years, the country has been systematically destroyed. Fuel prices have sky-rocketed and unemployment is on the rise. There is lynching all around. Some of the key institutions have been destroyed. The Union government agencies are being used for narrow political gains," said Banerjee.
The Chief Minister was speaking during an event in Jalpaiguri on Wednesday. A host of new projects were flagged off as well. "Do you remember that a BJP minister while camping for the last Parliamentary elections had assured that the Union government would acquire all the seven closed Duncan tea gardens and open them? They took your votes based on false assurances. After the polls got over, they disappeared without fulfilling their promises. This is the brand of politics that the BJP follows — poll politics and politics of lies," retorted Banerjee.
"I do not indulge in politics to save myself but do it to save others and unite everyone," she stated adding that her Maa-Maati-Manush government had successfully provided food, medical facilities and education even to the poorest of the poor in the state. She mentioned that the government had provided rice and wheat at Rs 2 per kg.
"We provide 35 kg of rice at 47 paise per kg for the tea garden workers. We have waved electricity bills for the workers in closed tea plantations and provide free power and drinking water facilities there. The daily wage for tea garden workers has been increased from Rs 67 daily to Rs 176 after our government came to power. We have opened up a Tea Directorate to look into the issues pertaining to the industry," remarked Banerjee.
In the health sector, a total of 43 multi super-speciality hospitals have come up. Around 30,000 beds have been added to the existing hospitals. "Beds are free, medicines are free. People from neighbouring states and even countries like Bangladesh are coming to Bengal to avail such facilities. We stand by people in their times of need," added the Chief Minister.
She further said around 57 lakh scholarships have been handed over to the students belonging to the SC/ST community and 25 lakh houses have been built for the people at BPL. A total of 26,000 km of roads have been completed and work on an additional 19,000 km has been taken up. Lakhs of people have been helped whose houses and livelihood were affected by natural calamities.
"Darjeeling was burning and the Union government was adding fuel to the fire. We brought peace to the Hills and the entire region. With peace came development," she maintained.
Banerjee advised the residents to remain cautious and alert.
