Would've harvested gold if we had minerals like Jharkhand: Mamata Banerjee

Kotshila: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the BJP-ruled Jharkhand has “failed” to usher in development despite being a mineral rich state.

She said if the Trinamul Congress had the kind of reserves that Jharkhand has, it would have “harvested gold” in Bengal.

“Jharkhand has plenty of minerals, yet development did not take place in that BJP-ruled state,” she said, while addressing a public meeting in Purulia here, bordeing Jharkhand.

She alleged minorities are being tortured in Rajasthan and Dalits are facing atrocities in Gujarat, but her party did not divide people in West Bengal.

“There are many people from Bihar and Jharkhand and all considr West Bengal as their home. Similarly, there are people from Bengal who go to other states for work,” she said.

She said migrant labourers who are willing to return to the state will find jobs back home and instructed the district magistrates to note down the names of the people returning to their homes leaving jobs in other states and provide work to them under the 100-day-work scheme.

“I don’t want my brothers and sisters to face any danger while working in other states,” she said.

Ms Banerjee said that her government has developed Purulia which was once the stronghold of the Maoists and witnessed bloodbath. She said that peace has returned to Purulia and tourists are visiting the place.