Centre should make policy to control price rise — Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, April 7 (PTI): Claiming that the Centre was not taking measures to control the price rise of fuel and other essential commodities, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday insisted that a policy should be made to arrest the hike.

The BJP, however, iterated that the VAT imposed on fuel by the state should first be reduced.

Banerjee, during the day, said that the economic situation in the country was going from bad to worse, and expressed apprehension that states might not be able to disburse salaries to employees in the days to come.

“People keep talking about the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, but the situation isn’t bad only in the island nation I don’t know if the states will be able to pay salaries in the coming days,” Banerjee said during a meeting of a state-level task force that monitors prices of agricultural commodities.

Noting that the Centre raised prices of oil and cooking gases 15 times in the last 16 days, Banerjee said, “The economic situation is very bad…(it’s going from) bad to worse. The Centre should make a policy (to check the price rise).”

She suggested that toll tax collection be suspended for the time being, under such circumstances, as trucks carrying essential commodities were incurring higher expenses, and common people, in turn, were getting burdened.

The CM noted that prices of live-saving drugs have also been increased.

On her part, the CM said that the Bengal government would continue to provide vegetables and fruits at subsidised rates at the stalls of ‘Sufal Bangla’ a scheme initiated under the department of agricultural marketing.

Banerjee asked the administration to raise the fleet of such stalls to 500 from the current 332.

“Sufal Bangla mobile vans will be stationed outside marketplaces twice daily,” she said, further asking the chief secretary to prepare a “system chart” accordingly.

The CM directed the administration to refrain from blocking vehicles carrying eggs and fish as items could rot if held up for long.

She directed the state’s Enforcement Branch to conduct surprise checks at marketplaces and keep a tab on the prices of essential commodities.

Banerjee, continuing her tirade against the Centre, said that the BJP-led government should find ways to rein in prices instead of using the CBI and ED to harass politicians.

The feisty TMC boss also alleged that the Centre was not paying GST dues to the states.

She urged all states to seek an extension of GST compensation period by another five years.

“The Centre is not giving us our share of GST. The Union government is collecting all forms of taxes from the states but not giving us our share. They are applying Cess on everything. They could have applied tax instead of Cess…so that states get a percentage,” she added.

Meanwhile, hitting out at the CM, the BJP said that the state government should reduce VAT on fuel if it was actually bothered about common people.

“She should also write to the Union government demanding that oil be brought under GST. Unless she does that, it is all a drama that she is staging to fool the masses,” BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said.