Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, raised concerns about the practicality of the state government’s decision to increase payments for welfare schemes in the interim budget. Adhikari highlighted that such announcements in the interim budget might not be feasible as the government cannot allocate funds or determine beneficiaries under these schemes during this period.
He emphasized that the enhanced payments declared in the interim budget would come into effect from April 1, coinciding with the imposition of the model code of conduct due to the upcoming Assembly elections. Adhikari accused the state government of misleading the public by making these announcements before the elections.
Adhikari also noted that the current state Cabinet lacks the authority to implement these changes, suggesting that only the new Cabinet formed post-elections could execute these decisions after presenting a full budget in the Assembly. He criticized the government for using the interim budget as a platform for the ruling party’s election promises.
According to Adhikari, these actions by the Chief Minister indicate a fear of defeat in the upcoming polls. He alleged that the government’s attempts to mislead the public through the interim budget announcements reflect a pattern of behavior by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, citing previous instances where she allegedly misled the public on various issues.
