West Bengal budget 'farce' to fool people ahead of panchayat polls: BJP

The BJP on Wednesday said the West Bengal budget was a "farce" to fool the masses ahead of the panchayat polls.

The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government presented a Rs 3.39-lakh crore budget for 2023-24 in the Assembly.

"It is a rudderless budget that failed to provide any direction to come out of the debt-ridden situation the state is facing. The budget is a complete farce. They have announced 3 per cent additional DA for state government employees, what about the remaining 32 per cent DA which is still due?" state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar told a press conference.

"As a case is pending before the court over the state not releasing pending DA, they have given this dole," he added.

Lashing out at the TMC government for "failing" to attract industries, Majumdar claimed its is yet to create any fruitful source of revenue generation.

"No major industry has come to this state in the last 11 years. The state government is functioning on dole politics," he claimed.

"The allegation that the Centre has stopped funds is baseless. No other opposition-ruled state has ever made this allegation," he said.

BJP MLA Ashok Lahiri, a noted economist, said the TMC government was very good at making announcements.

"The state government is claiming that it tops the chart in MNREGA. Is it a good thing that people of the state have left the hope of getting a permanent job, and are now depending on it? Is this a badge of honour or a matter of shame?" he questioned.