Mamata launches road construction scheme 'Pathashree-Rastashree'

Accuses Centre of depriving state, says TMC's decision to support GST Bill was wrong

Chief  Minister Mamata Banerjee launching 'Pathashree-Rastashree' scheme at Singur––Photo: Shyamal Maitra

PTI, Singur, Mar 28, 2023 : Asserting that Centre has been depriving West Bengal of its share of the Goods and Service Tax collected from the state, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the decision to support the passage of the GST Bill was wrong. 

Mamata, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said that she had supported the passing of the GST Bill thinking that it would benefit the states. She was addressing a programme here in Hooghly district to launch the 'Pathashree - Rastashree' scheme for constructing around 12,000kilometres of roads in rural areas of the state. 

"It was our mistake to support the passing of the GST(Bill). I had thought that the states would benefit from it. But, the Centre is collecting all the taxes and not giving us our share of it, "the chief minister said. 

The GST was launched across the country on July 1, 2017. The primary motive was the "one country onetax" enabling the Centre to collect tax at once. The TMC had 'in principle' supported the Narendra Modi government when this tax framework was introduced. The BJP-led Union government has stopped releasing funds for the100 days work scheme scholarships for the OBC students and various other programmes, she said at the event organised by the state panchayat and rural development department. 

 From Wednesday, Mamata will start a two-day sit-in demonstration in Kolkata protesting against the BJP-led Union government's alleged discriminatory attitude towards West Bengal. She would also demand that the Centre release funds for the MGNREGA project and other initiatives of the housing and road departments. 

Launching the 'Pathashree -Rastashree' scheme ahead of the panchayat election, the chief minister said that the entire expenditure of Rs 3.75 thousand crores for constructing rural roads would be borne by the state and not the central government. 

Under the scheme, around 12,000 km of roads will be constructed or reconstructed in 29,475 villages of the state, a senior official of the panchayat and rural development department said. Twenty-two districts will benefit from this project as 8,767 roads have been approved under this scheme, the official mentioned. 

"New roads will be built and old ones will be repaired within a specific time, "minister of state for panchayat, Becharam Manna, said.