Cong seeks new 'poribartan' as poll season nears
LALGARH: Barely a day after the two parties crossed swords on retail FDI in Parliament, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh on Saturday gave the call in Lalgarh for bringing about yet another 'poribartan' in Bengal, making it clear that any possibility of a rapprochement between Congress and Trinamool Congress is a far cry.
Taking a dig at Trinamool for calling UPA-II a "minority government", Ramesh reminded Mamata's party that it was the same government that has sanctioned 55,000km road construction for the three districts of Jangalmahal - West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia - in just a year. Governments have not been able to match this in the last 12 years, he said at a public meeting in the one-time Maoist stronghold. Also, the Centre has released Rs 2,700 crore for Bengal so far for payments to land labourers under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, he said.
Ramesh held that Trinamool may have the 'josh' (rabble rousing) required in street politics but lacks the 'hosh' (brain) to run a government. "We will reach out to the people and appeal to them to give a chance to Congress this time when they have seen the CPM and Trinamool," he said.
Referring to his meeting at Lalgarh some months ago, he remarked, "I had said then that the Congress has not taken political VRS in Bengal. Today, I would say that the Congress has got a fresh lease of life after Trinamool left us."
To eliminate "middlemen" - a reference to the state government and panchayats - the Centre will transfer funds for student scholarship, widow pension and old-age pension to the beneficiaries' bank or post office accounts from January next year, he said.
Ramesh's Bengal colleagues - Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Deepa Das Munshi - went ballistic against the Mamata government. Adhir described the Trinamool administration as "old wine in a new bottle" that has only "decentralised corruption".
Taking a dig at Trinamool for calling UPA-II a "minority government", Ramesh reminded Mamata's party that it was the same government that has sanctioned 55,000km road construction for the three districts of Jangalmahal - West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia - in just a year. Governments have not been able to match this in the last 12 years, he said at a public meeting in the one-time Maoist stronghold. Also, the Centre has released Rs 2,700 crore for Bengal so far for payments to land labourers under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, he said.
Ramesh held that Trinamool may have the 'josh' (rabble rousing) required in street politics but lacks the 'hosh' (brain) to run a government. "We will reach out to the people and appeal to them to give a chance to Congress this time when they have seen the CPM and Trinamool," he said.
Referring to his meeting at Lalgarh some months ago, he remarked, "I had said then that the Congress has not taken political VRS in Bengal. Today, I would say that the Congress has got a fresh lease of life after Trinamool left us."
To eliminate "middlemen" - a reference to the state government and panchayats - the Centre will transfer funds for student scholarship, widow pension and old-age pension to the beneficiaries' bank or post office accounts from January next year, he said.
Ramesh's Bengal colleagues - Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Deepa Das Munshi - went ballistic against the Mamata government. Adhir described the Trinamool administration as "old wine in a new bottle" that has only "decentralised corruption".
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