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By PTI
KOLKATA: BJP MLA from Kurseong in Darjeeling Hills Bisnu Prasad Sharma on Thursday reiterated his charge about disconnect between the hills and rest of West Bengal, claiming the birth anniversary of poet Nepali Bhanubhakta was not celebrated in the plains but that of Rabindranath Tagore is observed everywhere.
While taking part in the Budget discussion, Sharma commented, “You were upset with my view expressed in the Assembly yesterday that the Darjeeling Hills should have separate statehood as people in the hills are not emotionally connected with those in plains.”
“However, if one takes into account certain factors like “our national poet Bhanubhakta Acharya not getting any importance on his birthday in the plains of West Bengal, vis-a-vis the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore held with great enthusiasm in hills, one will realise the reason behind the people there feeling discriminated against in Bengal,” he added.
In reply, West Bengal Minister of State for Finance (Independent charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya said, “Our chief minister Mamata Banerjee visits the hills frequently as she considers the area and it’s people integral to Bengal.”
“Please don’t sow the seeds of discord,” she said.
TMC leader Partha Chatterjee told reporters at his chamber, “Sharma appears to be ignorant about the long-standing ties between people in the hills and the plains.”
“In our Assembly hall, the portrait of Bhanubhakta is garlanded and tributes paid on his birthday. Sharma doesn’t know facts,” he said.
Sharma’s comments on statehood Wednesday triggered an outrage as the Trinamool described it as secessionist.
Skirting the main issue, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had said due to the continued neglect of North Bengal, poor people had been deprived of true development and that gave rise to the disenchantment among people in the hills.
Meanwhile, Speaker Biman Banerjee on Thursday criticised BJP MLAs over their absence in the House when Minister of State for Finance Chandrima Bhattacharya was replying to queries posed by them during a discussion on budget, describing it as “dangerous for democracy”.
He also said such conduct was “indecent and intolerant”.
After the minister finished her statement during the discussion on budget, Banerjee said, “I am shocked to find that the BJP legislators, who had made queries, left the House as she participated in the discussion.”
“This is indecent and intolerant conduct of the BJP MLAs and I am hopeful they will rectify themselves,” Banerjee said before adjourning the House till 11 AM of March 21.
Bhattacharya also accused the BJP of only criticising the social welfare schemes of the Mamata Banerjee government and not being interested in constructive cooperation.
Taking part in the discussion on supplementary expenses in the state budget, Bhattacharya said the BJP members walked out of the House after raising questions and wondered whether they were serious on the issues or not.
“Yes in health, foodgrain production, ‘Duare Ration’ (ration at doorstep) project, and relief and rescue for natural calamities, clean water supply, our government has taken pioneering steps. The supplementary grants were meant for spending on these fronts,” she said.
If the supplementary grants are not approved, the expenses would be stopped and many such projects could be affected, the minister said.
Replying to a query of Bishnu Prasad Sharma of the BJP, Bhattacharya stated, “You had said why so much borrowing had to take place with a high rate of interest. I tell you the expenses in supplementary grants were high due to COVID-19 and natural calamities. We are committed to serve people targeted in various schemes.”
Accusing the BJP government at the Centre of doing “nothing to help the student community get world-class quality education in the country” since 2014, Bhattacharya said, “This has resulted in flight of our students to Ukraine, Russia and elsewhere to study medicine.”
She also questioned, “Why there were not enough seats for them in the country. In contrast, our chief minister has taken a humanitarian and considerate approach to solve their problems,” she said.
Bhattacharya claimed the number of seats in medical colleges in Bengal has risen from 1,355 to 5,000 during the tenure of the TMC government.
She said, “The Left parties and Ram (referring to the BJP) have joined hands to discredit the state but they will not succeed.”
The supplementary grants for development of SC and ST, education, fisheries and relief for natural calamities were tabled in the assembly.
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