DeMo, GST have landed small biz in a mess: Mamata Banerjee

The Asian Age.

Metros, Kolkata

Mamata took an indirect dig at the Modi govt saying that people often talk of and take credit for economic growth, but jobless growth has no meaning.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (Photo: File)

Kolkata: With most of the political parties blowing the poll bugle, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday utilised the platform of State MSME Conclave to launch a decent attack against the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and at the same time intelligently projecting and promoting her government as a messiah of the country’s large medium and small scale sector.

In a quite uncharacteristic manner, Ms Banerjee did not name the Prime Minister or any of his cabinet colleague, but expressed her deep concern for the country’s MSME sector, which has been crippled with more problems than one, following moves like DeMo, GST, reluctance of the banks to offer loans- one after another.

“I know exactly how you all are suffering. I know exactly how DeMo and GST have landed you in acute problems. Some are saying in publicly, some are not saying for obvious reasons. I can understand that. And to add to your worries, banks are not giving loans- particularly to small scale sector. I can understand your pains. That’s why we are strengthening our state cooperative banks and working on ways to offer more loans to MSME through our rural cooperative banks,” said Ms Banerjee. She took an indirect dig at the Modi government saying that people often talk of and take credit for economic growth, but jobless growth has no meaning.

“What is the meaning of economic growth if it fails to generate employment. For me and our government, employment generation is the top priority. And we know that MSME sector is capable of generating maximum employment. For us, small is always beautiful, small is acceptable, small is credible. In our state small industry is growing and therefore unemployment is under check,” she said, adding that state government would now hardsell state’s artistry, craftsmanship, cottage industry and MSME potentials abroad.

Bengal Global Business Summit will keep separate days  for MSMEs.

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