Mamata suggests UPA rethink on land bill
24 Aug 2012 7:48 AM IST
Amidst the political heat in Parliament, the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has lent her support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. On Thursday, she met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the national capital to discuss key issues related to her state and conveyed her support.
Sources say that it was due to the pressure asserted by the Trinamool Congress that the government has decided to defer introducing the new land acquisition bill in Parliament. As an outcome of the meetings with Singh and the finance minister P Chidambaram, Banerjee has got the nod from the government about a railway project to be shifted to the railway ministry from the urban development ministry. Also, she got a go ahead for having the AIIMS question paper set in Bangla as well.
Earlier, even after the Trinamool Congress president had repeatedly demanded a financial package for West Bengal from the UPA government, the finance ministry, led by Pranab Mukherjee then, did not act on it. Sources close to her say that this time they are hopeful that the UPA will be far more considerate.
In the meeting with the finance minister, she focused on lowering the prices for fertilisers, improving the conditions of national highways passing through the state and opposed foreign direct investment in various sectors, including multi-brand retail.
During the meetings, which first took place at North Block and then at the prime minister's 7, Race Course, residence, Banerjee expressed concern for the farming community over the import of fertilizers. While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Banerjee said, 'I met the finance minister for the first time after he took charge. The farmers in the state are badly affected because of the fertilizer price rise. I told him that serious decisions need to be taken, so that the farmers do not suffer.' She said that Chidambaram assured her that he would take care of these issues.
Banerjee asserted that in 2010 the prices of fertilizers were decontrolled and subsidies withdrawn. 'Now, 75 per cent of fertilizers are imported. The domestic fertilizer Urea is only 25 per cent of the market. The price rise affects our farmers and is leading to a very disastrous situation,' she said.
Also raising the issue of the deplorable condition of national highways during the meet, Banerjee said, 'We have so many national highways, but they are in a terrible state, especially National Highway 6, National Highway 34, National Highway 2 and National Highway 11.'
Sources say that it was due to the pressure asserted by the Trinamool Congress that the government has decided to defer introducing the new land acquisition bill in Parliament. As an outcome of the meetings with Singh and the finance minister P Chidambaram, Banerjee has got the nod from the government about a railway project to be shifted to the railway ministry from the urban development ministry. Also, she got a go ahead for having the AIIMS question paper set in Bangla as well.
Earlier, even after the Trinamool Congress president had repeatedly demanded a financial package for West Bengal from the UPA government, the finance ministry, led by Pranab Mukherjee then, did not act on it. Sources close to her say that this time they are hopeful that the UPA will be far more considerate.
In the meeting with the finance minister, she focused on lowering the prices for fertilisers, improving the conditions of national highways passing through the state and opposed foreign direct investment in various sectors, including multi-brand retail.
During the meetings, which first took place at North Block and then at the prime minister's 7, Race Course, residence, Banerjee expressed concern for the farming community over the import of fertilizers. While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Banerjee said, 'I met the finance minister for the first time after he took charge. The farmers in the state are badly affected because of the fertilizer price rise. I told him that serious decisions need to be taken, so that the farmers do not suffer.' She said that Chidambaram assured her that he would take care of these issues.
Banerjee asserted that in 2010 the prices of fertilizers were decontrolled and subsidies withdrawn. 'Now, 75 per cent of fertilizers are imported. The domestic fertilizer Urea is only 25 per cent of the market. The price rise affects our farmers and is leading to a very disastrous situation,' she said.
Also raising the issue of the deplorable condition of national highways during the meet, Banerjee said, 'We have so many national highways, but they are in a terrible state, especially National Highway 6, National Highway 34, National Highway 2 and National Highway 11.'
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