Trinamool slams Ashwini Vaishnaw's claims on Railway allocation to Bengal

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's claim that the Modi Government had allocated almost three times the amount that had been allocated when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Government was the Union Railway Minister has triggered a fierce counter-response from the Trinamool Congress.

- SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE

Banerjee was the Railway Minister during 1999-2000 in the NDA regime and during 2009-11 in the UPA Government. After Banerjee, Trinamool leaders Mukul Roy and Dinesh Trivedi have also held the portfolio.

Yesterday, during a web conference on the Railway Budget 2025, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said: "The allocation in West Bengal which was in Mamata Didi's (Banerjee) time has been increased three times by Modi ji."

The Minister said that an allocation of Rs 13,955 crores has been provided for West Bengal under Railway Budget 2025. The average annual allocation to West Bengal from 2009 to 2014 was Rs 4,380 crore.

Vaishnaw's remark led to a sharp response from the Trinamool Congress with party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh saying this was "totally misleading".

"When Mamata Banerjee was the Railways Minister, West Bengal was given a lot of projects and funds too. A lot of new trains (were given) and renovation of stations, new lines, new projects, and new factories were undertaken," said Ghosh.