Debt crisis: Centre holds out hope

The Centre has agreed to partially bail out Bengal of its current financial crisis. This was announced by Finance minister Asim Dasgupta on Wednesday after he met Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Delhi on Tuesday. According to him,there are four areas in which Mukherjee agreed to clear the dues of Bengal: Rs 1,464 crore on debt relief,Rs 900 crore on service tax,Rs 626 crore on Aila relief and Rs 736 crore for drought relief. “If we get the money as promised,we will be able to tide over the problem to a great extent,” Dasgupta said.

The state,however,did not take too kindly to the Centre’s refusal of paying Rs 4,833 crore arrears on coal royalty.

“Had we received the money,we could have come out of the present crisis very soon,” Dasgupta said. “Despite a Supreme court judgment on the issue,we are not getting it. This is colossal injustice because other states are getting it. But we believe in solving problems through talks and we will again take the case up with the Central government.”