Thaindian News

Kolkata, Aug 21 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday asked industrialists not to concede the demand for money being made by some people by misusing the name of her Trinamool Congress and its leaders.

“In some areas there are people who are misusing the names of some others to demand money. Please don’t pay. On behalf of the Trinamool Congress, I tell you that this is not our policy. We don’t want money. I want Bengal’s development,” Banerjee said while addressing a programme.

The chief minister asked the industrialists present to say whether she had taken any money from them during the (April-May) assembly polls.

“If I need money for Bengal’s development I will seek money from you, from the people. There is no shame in that. But some people are misusing the names of others to take money.

“Please stop paying. If you stop paying that will be good… When I am telling you, don’t give… just don’t give.”

Banerjee said by taking money like this, neither the party nor the government is benefited.

Stressing on transparency, she said if anybody wanted to help the party, then they should pay through cheques. “But we don’t want that also”.

The chief minister said the industrialists should instead pump in money for pro-people activities. “Use your money to build industry, schools, hospitals and roads”.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Bengal Eco-Intelligent Park being built by the TCG Group, the chief minister also laid emphasis on concentrating on the state’s development by setting aside politics.

“We should do politics during election. But after the election we have to concentrate on development work.. A state cannot be developed by giving speeches and criticising people,” she said.

Banerjee said she was confident that industrialists from within and outside the state and also from abroad would invest in the state.

She said representatives from US, Singapore, Japan, Britain, and other nations have met her expressing their willingness to invest in the state. “They have expressed their interest to work with us. They have requested me to send our business teams to their respective countries. We will do so”.

Banerjee said the eco-technology park being built at an investment of Rs 550 crore over 10,000 square feet in the IT hub of Salt Lake, would create lot of job opportunities.