Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a host of “out-reach” measures that could to some extent offset probable the loss of clout with the exit of powerful mass leader Suvendu Adhikari who is almost on the verge of quitting the party the ruling Trinamool Congress.
The Chief Minister told reporters her Government decision to cap the price of RTPCR test for ascertaining corona infection to Rs 950/-. Earlier the test was priced at Rs 1,250. “I have told that no one will be allowed to charge more than Rs 950/- Banerjee said. Initially the tests cost anywhere between Rs 4,000 and Rs 4,500 which was later reduced by the Chief Minister to Rs 2,000 and then to Rs 1,500.
Apart from reducing the charge of corona test Banerjee also announced that about one million students of government schools would be provided with tabs for continuing with their online classes.
“There are about 9.5 lakh students (class XII) in 14,000 government aided schools and 636 madarsas… they have been facing immense problem in continuing their online classes. So we have decided to provide them with tabs so that they can carry on their education,” Banerjee said adding to help the students in lesser classes the government schools will be provided with computers for facilitating online education.
Apart from this the Chief Minister also announced 3 per cent dearness allowance for state government employees in January. “We have limited resources still we will provide 3 percent DA to our Government employees in January,” Banerjee said even as BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya said that “these decisions are aimed at winning back the fleeing electorate … but people have tolerated her for ten years they are not willing to see her coming to power again… so these measure will not help her win elections.”
Launching a scathing attack on the Chief Minister, State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the populist schemes --- including Duarey Sarkar (Government at the door steps) --- that the Government is unleashing are aimed at the voters but the Chief Minister will have to answer as to what she was doing all these years. Why her officers did not meet the people then… why the people would have to return empty handed from the BDO offices… so these schemes will not work for her now.”
On rebellions in the TMC Ghosh said that “there are more police men guarding the TMC leaders than they are guarding the people because the TMC is afraid of these leaders leaving the party like the ones who are coming out of Trinamool now.”
Though he would not name Suvendu Adhikari inside sources said that the powerful TMC leader had already been contacted by two very senior BJP leaders including an MP.
Earlier even as the efforts to pacify him failed the TMC leadership said they would not communicate with him any longer. “We are not going to him again. Now he will have to take his decision… We have communicated our mind to him,” senior leader and TMC MP Saugato Roy who was holding dialogues with him as emissary of the Chief Minister said.