Kolkata: Union Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee on Sunday expressed confidence that West Bengal would
regain its "lost glory" and respect despite having fallen
behind in many aspects since Independence.
"I am confident that although the state has
temporarily fallen behind somewhat, it will regain its lost
glory and earn its due respect," Mukherjee said while speaking
against the motion at a debate on `What India Can Do Today,
Bengal Cannot,` organised here by a Bengali magazine.
He said it was no mean achievement for West Bengal to
be the largest jute producer in the country despite having
lost its pre-eminent position in the sector after the
partition of India. "The future of jute is bright."
Mukherjee pointed out that the three-tier Panchayati
Raj system was conceptualised by former Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi on the lines of a similar system existing in West
Bengal then.
"People of this state had realised that democracy
cannot be strengthened only through the Parliament or the
Assemblies, but that a strong panchayat system is also needed
to take democracy to the grassroots," he said.
PTI
