State should fund polls: Mamata
15 Aug 2012 7:24 AM IST
In a rare moment reminiscent of the anti-corruption campaigns by Anna Hazare and Ramdev, the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a tirade against corrupt electoral practices and the lack of accountability in the government while speaking at the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday. Banerjee said that she was all for the state funding of elections.
'We are going to celebrate the Independence Day, but there is no financial independence in our state. It is time the centre and the state governments sat together and found a solution to the financial crunch,' Banerjee said. 'Today, many do not have food and shelter. I feel [that] without financial independence development has no value. Basic requirements are important. I want the masses to come forward. We need manpower, not muscle power or money power,' she told a packed Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.
On Monday, the chief minister had declared that her government would strive to make Bengal a top performing state. 'I want to give out more BPL cards, but where is the money?'she rued.
Citing the example of other states, Banerjee said that election expenses were less in Bengal compared to other states. 'In some cases, it takes Rs 20 crore for a candidate to contest an election. Why link the democratic process with money? Elections should be state-funded and there should be electoral reforms. Only then you can uphold the democratic process,' she said.
Banerjee also referred to Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda as she picked up the cudgels against corruption and demanded accountability of public servants. 'Last year we celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore. This year, the celebrations are on for Swami Vivekananda and Prafulla Ray. Let us try to uphold their ideals,' she summed up.
'We are going to celebrate the Independence Day, but there is no financial independence in our state. It is time the centre and the state governments sat together and found a solution to the financial crunch,' Banerjee said. 'Today, many do not have food and shelter. I feel [that] without financial independence development has no value. Basic requirements are important. I want the masses to come forward. We need manpower, not muscle power or money power,' she told a packed Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.
On Monday, the chief minister had declared that her government would strive to make Bengal a top performing state. 'I want to give out more BPL cards, but where is the money?'she rued.
Citing the example of other states, Banerjee said that election expenses were less in Bengal compared to other states. 'In some cases, it takes Rs 20 crore for a candidate to contest an election. Why link the democratic process with money? Elections should be state-funded and there should be electoral reforms. Only then you can uphold the democratic process,' she said.
Banerjee also referred to Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda as she picked up the cudgels against corruption and demanded accountability of public servants. 'Last year we celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore. This year, the celebrations are on for Swami Vivekananda and Prafulla Ray. Let us try to uphold their ideals,' she summed up.
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