Kolkata: Accusing the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley of putting a spin on the numbers regarding Central assistance to West Bengal, Trinamool Congress tonight said the Centre has stopped funding or slashed various central schemes.
"The Union Finance minister has been economical with the fact. The reality is the central devolution to West Bengal has gone up by a mere 0.9 per cent over last one year.
Yes less than one per cent," TMC national spokesperson Derek O Brien tweeted. "Also funding to 17 schemes has been done away with or cut.The Centre has stopped funding eight schemes including police modernisation and grant for backward districts.
And fund to nine other schemes has been slashed. It must be said he is putting a spin on the numbers," he further said.
Jaitley earlier rejected criticism that West Bengal has not gained from the 14th Finance Commission, and said the state will get Rs 2,85,200 crore during 2015-20, which is nearly three times the amount it received in the previous five years of UPA-2 regime.
In a Facebook post, Jaitley said that despite a huge benefit to the state under the 14th Finance Commission, "can it at all be said that West Bengal has not gained".
He posted the comments in response to "some friends" in West Bengal who had asked for greater central assistance to the state.
"During 2010-15, West Bengal received a total tax devolution of Rs 1,03,539 crore. Between 2015-20, this amount will increase to Rs 2,85,200 crore," Jaitley said.He said that to know how much West Bengal gets from the Centre, the impact of the 14th Finance Commission on the finances of state has to be understood.
