West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday expressed disappointment about the outcome of a meeting with Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on the financial condition of the cash-strapped state.
"Nothing substantial came out. This type of meetings were also held in the past," Banerjee, who held an over hour-long meeting with Mukherjee at the Raj Bhavan, told Bengali news channel Star Ananda.
"I am totally dissatisfied with the United Progressive Alliance-II government's lack of response to the state government's plea for central assistance," she said.
"This type of discussions were held four to five times in the past but nothing substantial came out. A meeting was held with state Finance minister Amit Mitra and Mukherjee in Delhi in recent times," Banerjee said.
Wondering how she could manage the state of the economy left behind by the previous Left Front government, the chief minister said "we have to spend crores and crores of rupees for meeting salaries, allowances and other requirements. Where is the central assistance?"
Banerjee said she had made repeated requests to the Centre for assistance to resuscitate the state's economy but no help was forthcoming".
The chief minister said she did not believe in the "politics of blackmail but strongly believed in the politics of development to serve the people better."
