West Bengal's industrial wealth threatened by Modi govt's 'crony capitalist' policies: Congress

Jairam Ramesh. File Pic

The Congress on Friday alleged that West Bengal's industrial wealth is threatened by the Modi government's "crony capitalist policies" and asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give a written guarantee that he will not sell public sector steel plants such as Durgapur to his "friends".

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the prime minister ahead of his Lok Sabha poll rallies in West Bengal.

"Can the PM commit that he won't sell Durgapur Steel Plant to his friends? Why has the BJP failed to increase the MSP for paddy? Does the PM prioritise his PR over vaccines for India's children?" Ramesh said in his post on X.

Elaborating on what he said were "jumla" details, Ramesh alleged that West Bengal's industrial wealth is threatened by the Modi government's crony capitalist policies.

"Amidst SAIL's privatisation drive and the PM's attempt to sell steel plants in Salem, Vishakhapatnam, Bhadravathi, and Bastar, there is a fear that Durgapur Steel Plant will also be sold to one of PM Modi's industrialist friends," he claimed.

Privatisation of the plant would endanger thousands of livelihoods and disrupt the economic life of Durgapur, he said.

The privatisation of the Durgapur Steel Plant would also be a knockout blow to the small and medium suppliers and contractors who support the plant - at a time when MSMEs in Bengal have already been severely impacted by the triple threat of demonetisation, GST, and the unplanned lockdown, Ramesh argued.

"Bengal has also suffered from the Modi Sarkar's neglect - post-COVID many fertiliser factories were set up by Central Government across India, but no initiatives were taken up for the plants in Durgapur and Haldia," he said.

"Will the PM, who is demanding written commitments from the Congress, give a written guarantee that he will not sell public sector steel plants like Durgapur to his friends?" Ramesh said.

He further said that Bardhaman, the "rice bowl" of Bengal, has seen its paddy farmers suffer under the Modi government.

While the UPA raised the MSP of paddy by 134% during its tenure, the Modi government has just raised it by 50%, he claimed.

"This is nowhere near enough to account for inflation and the rising prices of farm inputs. Similarly, despite the promises made by PM Modi before the 2014 elections on the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission, MSP remains way below the recommended rate," he said.

While paddy should be at Rs. 2866 per quintal as per the Swaminathan Formula, it is at just Rs. 2183 per quintal today, Ramesh pointed out.

"What happened to the PM's promise? Why has he neglected the paddy farmers of Bardhaman and West Bengal?" he said.

The Congress Nyay Patra pledges a legal guarantee for MSPs as per the Swaminathan Committee recommendations, he pointed out.

Can the PM at least make a similar promise, Ramesh asked.

He claimed the Modi government has blocked National Health Mission funding to over 11,000 sub-health centres in West Bengal.

"These sub-health centres form the first line of defence for India's poor - they are staffed by nurses and provide vaccines for children, tablets, and medicines for common fever, malaria, TB, and other infectious diseases," he said.

While the sub-centres are supposed to be called Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, the state government had named them Sushasthya Centres, he noted.

"In a letter on November 25 last year, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) wrote to states, ordering them to rename sub-centres 'Ayushman Arogya Mandir' and paint them orange. The medical community has criticised this attempt by the BJP to 'saffronise' medical centres, and the state government has refused to implement it," Ramesh said.

"In a petty and vindictive move, the Modi government seems to have blocked funds just because the state government refused to paint sub-centres a different colour," he said.

This comes after the Centre has already blocked state funds to MGNREGA and a Central housing scheme, Ramesh added.

"In their vindictiveness, why is the BJP denying essential health services to the poorest communities in the state? Does the PM prioritise his PR over vaccines for India's children?" Ramesh said and asked the prime minister to break his "silence" on these issues.

(With inputs from Agencies)