Jalpaiguri: Trinamool Congress chief
Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday criticised the ruling Left Front
government for "destroying" the tea industry in north Bengal
and said things would radically improve if the TC-Congress
alliance comes to power.
"The once thriving tea industry in north Bengal has been
destroyed by the Left Front government during its 34-year-long
rule by adopting anti-labour policy," Banerjee told a poll
rally at Kumargram, about 95 km from here.
The government did not take any step to meet the just
demand of daily wage which has resulted in poor health and low
productivity among workers, she said.
"There is no arrangement for drinking water, medical
service and elementary education for the tea garden workers
and their families. Their demand for Hindi medium schools in
the garden areas has also been ignored," she said while
canvassing for party candidate Joyakhim Baxla, former RSP
legislator, who joined Trinamool last year.
The CPI(M)-led government wasted all opportunities to
develop north Bengal. The region has no industry, inadequate
electricity, poor road connectivity and health-care
facilities, she alleged.
"The government could not even provide 15 day-work to
villagers in a year under the centrally sponsored MNREGA's
100-day programme," Banerjee said.
"Things will radically improve and a resurgent Bengal
will emerge if the Trinamool Congress-Congress alliance comes
to power in the state," she said.
Dubbing the LF government as a "bankrupt ministry", the
Railway Minister said that there was no fund to provide salary
to teachers, para-teachers and other state employees.
"The government looted public money to sustain CPI(M)
cadres," she claimed.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 19:03