Left Front’s profligacy costs West Bengal Rs15,000 crore

If chief minister Mamata Banerjee finds the state exchequer empty and over burdened, it is all thanks to the profligacy of the former Left Front government.

A report of the comptroller auditor general points at unnecessary spending by the Left Front government in 2009-2010, which cost the state Rs 15,000 crore.

The report was placed before the state assembly a few days ago. Banerjee has asked finance minister Dr Amit Mitra to initiate an inquiry into the matter.

This was the first CAG report in the state after the three decade old Left rule ended earlier this year.

The ‘unnecessary’ expenditure of Rs 15,000 crore was incurred in appointment of about 2.3 lakh government staff in the first three months of the 2009-10 fiscal. This may have cost the state exchequer an additional annual expenditure of Rs 30,000 crore for salary, the report indicated.

Public accounts committee chairman Anisur Rahman —a former minister in the LF government— admitted to the ‘unnecessary’ spending of Rs 15,000 crore.

Sources in the finance department said, “If a thorough perusal is done, the total ‘avoidable expenditure’ incurred by the Left government in three decades might cross Rs 1.5 lakh crore.”