I believe in federal structure: Mamata

Dismissing suggestions that she forged a deal with the Narendra Modi government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she believed in the federal structure of the country and making it stronger.

“When I don’t meet the PM , media say I am always fighting. When I meet him, they say we have a deal,” she said at a meeting with the newly-elected party councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

“I am in favour of making the federal structure of India stronger,” the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief said.

Banerjee had on Tuesday said she would meet Modi during his visit to the state from Saturday if he gave time and submit a memorandum to him regarding development of the state. “It is my constitutional duty which I have to perform,” she said. She said that the Centre slashed allocations for various schemes like Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and Backward Region Development. They have reduced funds for ICDS. There are no funds for mid-day meal scheme. How will poor students survive? So many people will be out of work if 100 Days’ Work Scheme is curtailed. I will raise all these issues with the Centre,” she said.

Reiterating that the state had inherited a huge debt burden, Banerjee said, “The Centre takes away our revenues for no fault of ours. The Centre raises taxes from all states and then distributes money to us. They are not doing any favour”.

Without naming the BJP government at the Centre, she said, “Some people are trying to incite communal tension. It is easy to create rifts. It is not easy to win hearts. We are working for people of all castes, creed and communities”.