Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote another letter to the BJP-led Central government asking it to withdraw the controversial Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill.
Addressing a rally here in Jhargram district, she described the Bill as ‘anti-people’ and accused the Central government of not thinking about the poor.
“They always talk big. They are coming up with a Bill which is anti-people. Before coming here on Thursday, I have again written a strong letter to them (the Centre) asking for withdrawal of the Bill,” Miss Banerjee said.
While slamming the Center for various ‘anti-people’ steps, Miss Banerjee demanded a high-level probe into the fraud of over Rs 11,000 crore in a Punjab National Bank’s Mumbai branch, saying the people’s money deposited in the banks was not safe following the Center’s ‘faulty’ fiscal policy.
This is her second letter to the Centre demanding withdrawal of the FRDI Bill.
Opposition parties has been criticising the Bill for some of its controversial provisions, including a bail-in clause.
This clause has been commented upon by experts as of bringing potential harm to deposits, in the form of savings accounts. The government, however, said it will fully protect public deposits in financial institutions.
“You cannot simply digest common people’s money. People are scared on Thursday. You cannot take away the money of the poor. You will have to withdraw the Bill,” she said at the state government programme before inaugurating a cluster of projects this afternoon.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley had acknowledge her first letter in this connection, said Miss Banerjee while addressing the public.
“I had written to the BJP-led central government to withdraw it. The finance minister had acknowledged my letter. But he made a minister of state write a reply stating that nothing will happen to the poor,” she stated.
The chief minister had on Tuesday announced that Trinamul Congress will start a nationwide protest unless the Bill is withdrawn.
“Common people deposit their hard earned money in banks. If this Bill is passed there will be no guarantee on the security of their money. I want to caution the Center, either withdraw the Bill or be ready to face nationwide protest,” she said .
The FRDI Bill, that was tabled in the Parliament in August triggered intense controversy, most of it due to a “bail-in” clause that would shift the burden of probable bankruptcy on depositors.
According to Miss Banerjee, FRDI is another way of jeopardizing the interest of the common people after demonetization and the Goods and Service Tax (GST).
“Demonetisation led to decline in the economic growth rate. Small traders and businessmen are suffering due to unplanned GST. Now, the Union government is after the hard-earned money of the common people,” she said.
Miss Banerjee also said, “I have written two strong letters to the Union finance ministry urging immediate withdrawal of the FRDI Bill to save people from financial ruin.
“Today people are shocked to see what has happened in the PNB in Mumbai. This is the money of common people. Who took away the money? Who ate it up?” Miss Banerjee asked while speaking at the rally in the erstwhile Maoist-dominated Junglemahal.
“Offenders will run away after stealing the money but what will happen to the common man? Scams like this must be investigated.
“The security of people’s money must be ensured. We will not let the Central government off the hook until that happens”, she said.