Kolkata: After being showered with goodies in the Railway Budget, West Bengal on Monday got its share of booty from the Union Budget in terms of grants for the post-Cyclone Aila reconstruction efforts, setting up of an Aligarh Muslim University Campus and announcement of a handloom cluster.
Expectations had been high in the run-up to the two budgets, as this was the first time in the last 25 years that both the finance and railways minister were from West Bengal.
In 1984, Pranab Mukherjee was the finance minister, while A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury handled the railways portfolio.
Three days back, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee presented what is widely regarded as the best railway budget for West Bengal post-independence.
The state received a railway coach factory, a 1,000 MW captive power plant as also the promise of takeover of the wagons unit of Burn Standard by the railways ministry.
Besides, Banerjee also gave the state four of the budget showpiece 12 non-stop trains, five of the 50 world-class stations and almost half of the 309 'Adarsh Stations'. A large number of new trains, new rail links, as well as extensions and increase in the frequency of several trains brought big smiles to the people of the state.
Though Mukherjee's Budget was more balanced, the announcement of a Rs.1,000 crore central grant for reconstruction efforts in areas damaged by Cyclone Aila has been welcomed by ministers of the state's Left Front government.
Disaster Management Minister Mortaza Hossain said: "We had asked for the money. I welcome the proposal."
Mukherjee's budgetary promise to set up a handloom mega cluster in the state was also welcomed by the industry bodies.
Though the establishment of a campus of the Aligarh Muslim University in Murshidabad was announced earlier, the sanction of Rs.25 crore for the project has received positive response. Incidentally, Mukherjee was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from the Murshidabad district constituency of Jangipur.
"Some special attention has been given to West Bengal also, like rehabilitation programmes for Aila, setting up a mega handloom cluster and a university in Murshidabad," said Sandipan Chakravorty, senior vice-president Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
"I welcome the proposal to set up Handloom Mega Clusters in West Bengal, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Srinagar," Anupam Shah, president, Merchants' Chamber of Commerce, said.
Hemant Kanoria, chairman-cum-managing director of Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd, praised the stress on infrastructure projects.
"The best thing about the budget is that the infrastructure sector has received the necessary impetus. The 87 percent hike in the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) was indeed necessary as there is an urgent need to overhaul infrastructure in Indian cities," Kanoria said in a statement.
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