E-Paper
TMC done much more than Left Front, says BJP’s Ashok Lahiri after Bengal budget
Former chief economic adviser Ashok Lahiri was asked by reporters to compare the performance of Asim Dasgupta of the Left government and Mamata Banerjee’s Amit Mitra. He declined to compare the ministers but said the TMC government has done much more than the Left Front.
Kolkata: Former chief economic adviser and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Ashok Lahiri on Thursday told the Bengal assembly that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) should audit the accounts of the state government.
After taking part in a discussion on the state budget submitted by the government on Wednesday, Ashok Lahiri, who won the Balurghat seat in north Bengal, told reporters that no CAG audit report has been submitted in the House since 2016-17.
“All companies audit their accounts every year. Similarly, the accounts of the central and state governments are audited by the CAG. An audit of the 2020-21 accounts is not possible now because of lack of time. An audit of the older accounts is possible but no CAG report is available since 2017-18. Hence, the figures mentioned as ‘actuals’ in the budget papers are actuals for the government, not according to audited accounts. I told the assembly that CAG reports for 2019-20 should be placed before the House,” said Ashok Lahiri.
Welfare schemes, special rebate on stamp duty and amendments in road tax were the highlights of the ₹3,08,727 crore budget for 2021-22 that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government placed at the assembly on Wednesday.
“The government has placed its budget. The actual expenses and revenue receipts may vary and the government will submit a revised report around November-December. Only an audit can find out the actual figures. I am not saying this government only announces schemes and does not spend the amount it announces in its budget,” said Lahiri.
Asked to compare the performance of Asim Dasgupta, the last finance minister of the Left Front government and finance minister Amit Mitra, Ashok Lahiri said, “I know both of them. I will not compare but I must say the TMC government has done much more than the Left Front. The TMC has improved Bengal’s condition. I must admit that.”
During discussion on the budget, Lahiri told the assembly that Bengal needs a deep sea port. He also said the state government should come up with separate reports on the state’s economic condition, the plight of migrant workers and long-term plans for development.
Ashok Lahiri later said it was a very significant day for me.
“I never thought I would be into politics, never thought that in the assembly I would be sitting anywhere outside the visitor’s gallery. Today I had the opportunity to address the highest forum of democracy in the state. The first thing I said was that as a member of the opposition, I will take part in constructive discussion and speak with logic on the basis of documents. They are welcome to counter me with logic. Nobody tried to stop me while I spoke,” said Lahiri.
During the day, the BJP wanted to move an adjournment motion and demanded a statement from the government on the recent fake vaccination scam. Assembly speaker, Biman Banerjee, did not allow the motion. In protest, BJP legislators did not attend the meeting of the assembly’s business accounts committee.
