Centre's 'advice' for CM

Gangwar with BJP leaders and workers in Jalpaiguri on Thursday. Picture by Biplab Basak

TT, Jalpaiguri, April 13: Union minister of state for finance and senior BJP leader Santosh Kumar Gangwar today "advised" chief minister Mamata Banerjee to abstain from "politics" and sit across the table with the Centre for expediting the development of Bengal.

"It is not logical to make political remarks that the Centre is not waiving loans and not doing anything for Bengal. She should step out of such politics and sit and talk to the Centre. The Prime Minister is always proactive when it comes to development. If other states can ensure development with the help of the Centre, there is no reason why West Bengal cannot do it," Gangwar told a news conference here.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of BJP workers at Sridayal Hall here.

Mamata, even at government meetings organised in public, had accused the Centre of not helping the state.

In recent months, the Centre-Bengal equation has became so bad that state ministers and officials have been given a clear instruction not to communicate with any official or minister of the central government without approval from the highest level of the state government.

The chief minister had, however, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi this week.

"If other states can progress in terms of several development parameters, why should Bengal stay behind? It is necessary to sit, talk and take decisions. Instead of sitting for talks which can lead to development of the state, it is wrong to level allegations that the Centre is not cooperating with the state.

The top priority is development and for that, having a consistent relation with the Centre is required. Complaints can always be made but before that, all options need to be explored. The central government wants all states to progress," the Union minister of state for finance said.