Niti Aayog meet: TMC criticises PM over remark on Budget & privatisation row

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) has vehemently criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his statement in the sixth Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog on Saturday laying more stress on private sector for economic progress and the issue related to the Union and state Budget stating it to be an adverse affect to the country's federal structure.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not attend the meeting.

The Prime Minister said: "Centre and states should work together for the nation's progress... Government has to respect and give due representation to the private sector for economic progress."

He said the central government introduced production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for various sectors providing an excellent opportunity to increase manufacturing in the country.

The states, he added, should take full advantage of this scheme and attract maximum investment in themselves and also reap the benefits of reduced corporate tax.

Congress and CPI(M) have also equivocally criticised the same.

Senior Trinamool Congress leader and minister Subrata Mukherjee said: "The Prime Minister is giving stress on private sector to build Atmanirbhar Bharat. This comes when importance needs to be given to government sectors in a developing country like ours. Moreover, they are now in the path of privatisation one

after the other".

"What big harm would happen if there would be a gap of some days between the Union and the state budget? The state Assembly has its own set of rules. We need to follow the Constitution in the federal structure of the country. Nothing remains to say if they attempt to change everything," Mukherjee said.

Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya said: "It is something unacceptable. It is against the constitution. It is an irrelevant talk if someone says that the Union Budget will follow the states' budget or vice versa".

CPI(M) MLA Sujan Chakraborty said: "It is something alarming. They have abolished the Planning Commission that was there since Independence and introduced Niti Aayog. Now nothing is taking place in the country apart from handing over power to monopolists".