Mamata claims creating 2 crore jobs before mega rallies

In what critics called a pre-disclosure of her talking points ahead of the series of mega rallies that she has lined up against special intensive revision in at least two Muslim dominated districts of Murshidabad and Malda, besides a mega rally in Cooh Behar, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that her Government has created 2 crore jobs in the past 14 years of her rule.

Banerjee, who rolled out her government’s report card since 2014 when she came to power, displacing the Left Front, said that her State was number one in every sector, from MNREGA, to housing, to road construction, till the Centre allegedly blocked funds.

“The Bengal Government has spent more than Rs 1 lakh crore in the food security scheme, though the Centre stopped fund allocation, we have covered 9 crore people under Khadya Saathi, spent Rs 1717 crore on Duare Ration — Ration at doorsteps — covering 7 crore people,” Banerjee said, claiming her Government had created 2 crore jobs in the last 14 years.

She also said that her government had been helping 2.2 crore women under the Laxmir Bhandar scheme, providing Rs 1000 to every recepient.

Banerjee also slammed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government for distributing Rs 10000 among voters before the Bihar elections but used bulldosers on them post polls.

Banerjee’s statement came days before her mega programmes that she is to address in districts. The rallies will be held against “hasty and unplanned SIR in the State.” The Chief Minister’s decision to scale up the anti-SIR campaign comes against the backdrop of two developments: the Extension of submission of enumeration forms and the announcement by a local yet powerful Trinamool Congress leader, Humayun Kabir. The leader had vowed to float a new outfit and construct a new Babri mosque in the district.

The Chief Minister’s plans also come in tandem with a decision taken by Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor and senior Minister Firhad Banerjee’s proposed mega mobilisations are reportedly planned to counterbalance the response State Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari got in recent anti-infiltration campaigns. It is also planned to offset the increasing footfall in Left rallies, insiders say.

While the rally at Malda will be held at Gazole block, the one at Murshidabad will be organised at Behrampore, the hometown of Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury.

“The kind of rally the TMC is planning will be three times as big as that of Suvendu Adhikari. They will take three generations to go past the record that is going to be created by Mamata Banerjee,” said party spokesperson Arup Chakraborty.