West Bengal govt announces free electricity for quarterly consumption up to 75 units in state Budget, plans to set up 100 MSME parks

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Monday announced setting up of 100 new Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) parks across the state in the next three years to generate employment as the Mamata Banerjee regime presented its last full Budget ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections. In his Budget speech, state finance minister Amit Mitra announced free electricity for consumers with quarterly consumption up to 75 units and also a scheme to build houses for all permanent tea garden workers. The state government also proposed agricultural income tax waiver for tea gardens for the next two fiscals. [caption id=“attachment_6027521” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Reuters[/caption] The state allocated Rs 200 crore for the next financial year for the MSME parks and Rs 500 crore for the housing scheme for tea garden workers, named ‘Chai Sundari’. Mitra said the scheme will benefit around three lakh workers in 370 tea gardens in the state. Banerjee on Monday also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government to work together with Opposition parties and refrain from the “politics of vendetta” to revive the economy. Everybody should work together to improve the economic condition. If needed Prime Minister Narendra Modi should speak to the opposition parties, the TMC supremo said at a post budget press conference. The budget is the last full budget before the crucial 2021 state assembly polls. Banerjee referred to the recent comments by RBI on the state of the economy and said the union government should look after it, instead of being busy in the politics of hatred. “Whatever RBI is saying is a sensitive matter. The union government should look after the economy, instead of being busy in the politics of hatred. The prime minister should take everybody along, if needed hold discussions with opposition parties,” Banerjee said while urging the union government to refrain from the “politics of vendetta”. The Union government nowadays does not consult states before taking any decision, Banerjee alleged. The state Budget presented today is a pro people budget keeping in mind the needs of the people, she asserted.