Mamata plans all-party delegation to Delhi

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday proposed to send an all party delegation to Delhi to bring pressure on the Centre to grant the state a three-year moratorium on interest payments.

While answering a question raised by a member in the state Assembly about the government’s plan to set up trauma care, intensive treatment and intensive care units at the Malda Medical College and Hospital in the state, Mamata said that the state government was not in a position to do much because of its limited resources.She then asked state Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee to arrange for an all-party delegation that could press the Centre to grant a three-year moratorium on the payment of interest and repayment of loans.

The Chief Minister said that interest payments have risen to Rs 25, 000 crore from Rs 22, 000 crore and the government was facing problems to implement development works in the state due to lack of funds.When Congress leader Mohammad asked her to respond to his letter requesting a discussion on the state's financial crisis, Mamata said that she met the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee several times for financial assistance, but nothing transpired.Later in the day, the opposition legislators staged a walkout protesting against the exclusion of some questions from the day's business.