In West Bengal, Shah vows to fast-track development

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 18

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday urged people to install a powerful “engine” in West Bengal to fast forward the state’s pace of development.

Addressing a rally at Namkhana in Kakdwip subdivision of South 24 Parganas district of the state, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a “great engine” for development.

“However, Modi can’t do much if the state government keeps putting hurdles before him,” Shah said, urging people to bring the BJP to power in the state so that the state government could work in tandem with the central government.

Shah, who was speaking after kicking off the fifth and final “parivartan yatra” of the BJP at Namkhana, promised that a number of welfare schemes for fishermen would be launched by the BJP if it came to power in Bengal. A scheme like the Kisan Samman Nidhi would also be launched for the fishermen to give them Rs 6,000 each year, Shah announced.

He said the BJP would have a separate ministry under the MoS to ensure that the fishermen got the right price for their produce. He also promised to introduce the Seventh Pay Commission scales for state government employees and set up a committee to address the issue of salaries of teachers. He said 33 per cent reservation for women would be introduced if the BJP came to power in Bengal.

Didi trains guns at Home Minister’s son

• Hitting out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s ‘Didi-Bhaipo’ jibes, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday challenged him to contest an election against her nephew Abhishek Banerjee and then think of fighting her.
• Lashing out at Shah, she asked, “How come your son Jay became a part of the cricket administration and made hundreds of crores?”
• Mamata was addressing party workers at Pailan near Kolkata on Thursday. TNS