Recently, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, took a jibe at the Modi-led Central government during a debate on Supplementary Demand For Grants raised by the Finance Ministry in Lok Sabha, by citing several indices related to various attributes and tried to paint a picture that the current government’s performance is subpar.
Also, “This government and the ruling party coined the term Pappu. You use it to denigrate and signify extreme incompetence. But the statistics tell us who the actual Pappu is,” she said.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave a befitting response to her saying that there was indeed a ‘pappu’ in West Bengal where Central government schemes which could benefit millions of people have become a victim of petty politics.
While Mahua Moitra went on a rant about the Modi government’s perfromance on the economy, here is a look at the performance of West Bengal before and after TMC’s rule.
West Bengal’s Economic Performance
West Bengal was once the progressive state in India. Now the GDP growth rate has diminished to a great extent after TMC’s take over. West Bengal is at 30/33 place in average GDP growth rate from 2012-2019, way lower than the National Average.
Per Capita Income of West Bengal is Rs 1,21,463 which is almost half of Gujarat. It stands at 21/33 place. West Bengal has one of the highest debt to GSDP ratio. As per FY22 revised estimates, debt stands at nearly 34% of the GSDP and it is among top 5 states which are suffering with high debts.
Inflation rate is also very high in West Bengal, with 7.71%. It is among top 5 states with highest inflation rate, also higher than the national inflation rate 6.77%. When the entire world is batting with very high inflation, India managed to control the inflation rate in a better way.
Bengalis Denied Basic Amenities
As per Swachh Bharat Mission report 2021, West Bengal didn’t achieve 100% rural households having access to basic sanitation facilities, whereas 27 states in India have achieved 100% status.
As per NFHS report, only 64.7% of rural households have improved sanitation facilities. All big states have crossed 80% in the parameter.
As per Energy report, only 93.7% of households had electricity until 2016, even after 5 years of TMC rule, after continous push from the center the parameter improved.
Dwindling Investments
As per information from Ministry of Commerce and Industry, West Bengal attracted only $339.36 Million last year, which is 0.006% of total FDI inflow to India, whereas Gujarat attracted $2709 Million which is nearly 9 times higher.
Soaring Unemployement
As per CMIE report, Unemployment rate of West Bengal stands at 3.3% and Gujarat is 1.6%, when we compare it with the population quotient, it is much higher.
Dying Mothers
Maternal Mortality Ratio of West Bengal 109 per 1,00,000 live births, whereas, MMR of Gujarat is 70 per 1,00,000 live births.
No Public Safety
Public Safety in West Bengal is under doldrums. Crime rate, like Violent crimes, Murder, Rape, Kidnapping, Crimes against Children, Exortion, Robbery, Hit & Run, Drugs trafficking, Illegal Arms is very high in West Bengal and stands among top 5 states with highest crime rate.
Violent Crimes
- West Bengal – 48.7/1,00,000
- Gujarat – 11.9/1,00,000
Crimes against Children
- West Bengal – 31.7/1,00,000
- Gujarat – 21.6/1,00,000
West Bengal’s performance is subpar in all major growth indices. Without looking at West Bengal’s performance, the MP is keen in degrading the Centre. All these indices clearly showcase “Who is real Pappu”.
(Views expressed here are the author’s own)
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