'WB needs to strengthen infrastructure for rural development'

Kolkata: Amid complaints by Mamata Banerjee that the Centre had not honoured its promise of financial package to West Bengal, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday assured the state that there would be no shortage of funds so far as his rural development ministry was concerned.

"There will be no shortage of central funds for rural development," Ramesh said, rubbishing reports of differences between the Congress and its key ally.

He was speaking on the sidelines of an international seminar on water contamination in the Gangetic belt.

The minister said the Centre was ready to clear project proposals sent by the state, including the 540 km of road projects under the Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana.

Asked about his letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, reportedly expressing dissatisfaction over the state's implementation of MNREGA, Ramesh said, "MNREGA implementation is an issue for the last 2-3 years and not a question of a few months."

Ramesh also said the primary responsibility of implementing the MNREGA was with gram panchayats.

Referring to the earlier Left Front government in the state, he said that it was "cadre raj" in the name of "panchayati raj" in the last 34 years and areas like education had been politicised under the regime.

He expressed hope that the new state government would steer clear of such politicisation.