‘TMC is holding Bengal back’: Sitharaman slams Mamata govt over industrial & healthcare setbacks

The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the Rajya Sabha, asserting that West Bengal’s development is being deliberately stifled by its own state leadership, despite record support from the Centre.

Replying to the discussion on the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, FM Sitharaman highlighted that West Bengal has never been ignored by the Narendra Modi-led government. On the contrary, she said, “It is the TMC government that is hurting the growth of the people of West Bengal.”

The Finance Minister stated that the TMC government’s decision to withdraw from the Ayushman Bharat Scheme in January 2019 has hurt healthcare access for millions of Bengal residents. While other states benefit from the flagship health insurance scheme, West Bengal opted out, raising questions about the priorities of the state government.

The Finance Minister pointed to alarming industrial exodus statistics. From April 1, 2011 to September 30, 2025, a total of 448 listed companies and 6,447 unlisted companies have exited West Bengal, reflecting a serious erosion of investor confidence under TMC rule.

Contrary to claims of neglect, West Bengal has been a significant beneficiary of the NDA government’s fiscal policies. Tax devolution to the state has surged to Rs 5.94 lakh crore since 2014, a 4.4× increase compared to the Rs 1.34 lakh crore provided during 2004–14. Additionally, under the Special Assistance for State Capital Investments (SASCI), Rs 24,000 crore has been provided as 50-year interest-free loans to fuel infrastructure development.

FM Sitharaman cited a string of infrastructure initiatives aimed at modernising Bengal:

• AIIMS Kalyani has been inaugurated, and 11 new medical colleges approved under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• The 2025–26 railway budget allocation for Bengal stands at Rs 13,955 crore, over three times the average outlay of Rs 4,380 crore during 2009–14.
• 101 Amrit Stations are under development at a cost of Rs 3,847.5 crore.
• Over 1,650 km of railway lines have been electrified, taking total electrification to more than 98 per cent.
• More than 2,300 km of National Highways have been constructed since April 2014.
• The development of Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri has been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 1,549 crore.

The TMC, led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Sagarika Ghose, staged a walkout in protest, accusing the Finance Minister of “misleading” Parliament. Ghose described the proceedings as a “murder of constitutional democracy” and accused the chair of ignoring repeated ‘points of order’ raised by TMC floor leader Derek O’Brien.

In her statement to the media, Ghose claimed, “Today, what we have seen on the floor of the House is nothing but a cold-blooded, horrific murder of constitutional democracy… an attempt to defame Bengal, an attempt to insult Bengal, an attempt to insult the people of Bengal.”

While the TMC attempted to frame the discussion as a political attack, the Finance Minister maintained that the evidence of Bengal’s slow growth and industrial flight points to governance failures at the state level. By rejecting central schemes and failing to create an investor-friendly environment, the TMC, according to FM Sitharaman, has consistently hampered the welfare and economic progress of West Bengal’s citizens.