Kolkata: A day after Centre slashed the interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) to a four-decade low, terming the move as "anti-people" Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday slammed the Centre sarcastically stating that it was "gift card" from the BJP government after the party's victory in Uttar Pradesh.
Terming the decision as "anti-worker and anti-people" Banerjee called for united protests to thwart this move which she felt had been taken at the expense of farmers, workers and the middle class.
"After the UP victory, the BJP government comes out with its gift card immediately! It, at once, unmasks itself by proposing to slash the interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund deposits to a four-decade low," Banerjee tweeted.
On Saturday, the interest rate on EPF deposits was cut to a four-decade low of 8.1 per cent for 2021-22 fiscal from 8.5 per cent the previous year.
"This is amidst the pandemic-hit financial stresses of the middle and lower middle-class workers and employees of the country." Banerjee wrote.
"The anti-people, anti-worker step exposes the crudely lopsided public policies of the current central establishment, which espouses interests of big capital at the expense of farmers, workers, and middle classes. The black initiative must be thwarted by united protests," she added.
The 8.1 per cent interest rate was recommended by the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) after its meeting in Guwahati under the chairmanship of Union Labour and Employment minister Bhupendra Yadav, a labour ministry statement said.
Banerjee who is the chairperson of Trinamool Congress on Friday had termed the BJP's victory in Assembly elections in four states including Uttar Pradesh as not a true reflection of people's mandate and accused the saffron camp of looting votes by using the election machinery.
She also dubbed the defeat of Akhilesh Yadav as a 'machine-made' affair.
She urged Akhilesh not to give up and demanded a forensic audit of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Uttar Pradesh. Reiterating her call for an Opposition alliance to defeat the BJP, Banerjee said there was no use of sitting idle and waiting for the Congress.
"The party (BJP) should not raise its voice much just because they have won in a few states. This victory is not a true reflection of the people's mandate. This verdict is because of the blatant use of the election machinery to loot votes," she had said.