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Mamata gives Centre 15-day ultimatum on tax
moratorium
Saturday April 21, 2012 04:46:21 PM,
IANS
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Kolkata: Reiterating
her demand for an interest moratorium for the cash-strapped West
Bengal government, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday gave
the central government a 15-day ultimatum and warned that its
"indifferent attitude" could become a "big issue".
"We have not enough income to pay the interest for the debt burden
bequeathed by the erstwhile (Left Front) government. We are
repeatedly urging (the central government) that we do not need its
mercy, but that it should provide us at least a three-year
interest moratorium. They should give us the moratorium as we are
unable to pay it," Banejee said during a programme here.
She also took a dig at the centre for deducting Rs.15 billion from
the state's share of Central Sales Tax (CST) compensation.
"We have been waiting for one year. But enough is enough. The
centre has also deducted Rs.1,500 crore from our share of CST
compensation. On the one hand, it is cutting Rs.22,000 crore as
interest, and on the other it is deducting Rs.1,500 crore from CST
compensation. It means the centre is making the state government
debt-ridden to ensure that it cannot function," she stated.
"I will certainly not tolerate it," the chief minister warned and
gave the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government
15 days to decide on the interest freeze for three years.
"I am still appealing to the centre, but if it continues to remain
indifferent, then it will be a big issue. I will still wait for 15
days. I have earlier called on the Prime Minister and met with the
finance minister several times, but till now we have not received
any funds," Banerjee stated.
She recently said the debt burden bequeathed by the erstwhile Left
Front government in the state could be more than the estimated
Rs.2.3 lakh crore. The state government's current annual outgo on
interest payments is around Rs.2,200 crore.
Banerjee has also been insisting that since the new government has
inherited this huge quantum of debt burden, the central government
should find a way to waive these loans or settle the debt.
The Trinamool Congress with 19 members in the Lok Sabha and 6
members in the Rajya Sabha is the second largest constituent of
the ruling UPA II.
Currently, the relationship between the Congress and the Trinamool
is going through a rough patch after the Trinamool openly opposed
various policies of the central government.
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