Kolkata: In a blunt message to its ally
Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, Congress Sunday made it
clear it will not stay away from making constructive criticism
of the functioning of the administration, asserting that "if
there is lack of governance, voices will be raised".
"Our objective is to improve administrative decision
making and ensure better governance in West Bengal which got
itself freed from the tyranny of more than three decades,"
Congress national spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said here.
He was asked about reports of infant deaths and farmer
suicides.
"It is obvious that there are deaths of infants and
farmers commit suicides on account of poor offtake (of what
they produce) or physical obstruction in procurement. I think
all of us have to join together in raising our voices for
improvement in these services," he said.
It was only a matter of "good governance" and it
should never be viewed as "negative politics" or in any manner
attacks on the government, he said adding "that is not the
intention, that is not the objective."
On Trinamool Congress alleging that Congress teamed up
with CPI-M in criticising the government on farmer deaths,
Singhvi said, "I strongly dismiss this. We have jointly come
to power in the state and we are with the government."
"If there is lack of governance, voices will be raised and
this should not be seen as a political attempt to undermine
anybody."
Denying allegations that the Centre was not extending
financial assistance to West Bengal, Singhvi said that within
a short span of time, the state had been given Rs 7,800 crore.
"Whatever more needed to be done can be achieved by
further discussion between the two parties," he noted. MORE
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 05, 2012, 18:32