Assistance suggested by the Finance Minister for Punjab, Kerala and West Bengal
NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee indicated that he is looking to offer concessions to the three debt-afflicted states – Punjab, Kerala and West Bengal.
He will be forced to do this because of the pressure from the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.”I come from West Bengal and I have an obligation towards the state. But I have an equal responsibility towards 28 states and cannot do anything that goes against the federal system,” Mukherjee told the Rajya Sabha.
He said that a committee of officers has been constituted to look after the possible ways in which the three states can be helped. He pointed that CM’s of Punjab and Kerala has also raised the issues and government is looking for all possible solutions.
He said that West Bengal was slow to enact a fiscal responsibility & budget management act and hence lost out to the assistance suggested by the Finance Commission.
