Swapan Dasgupta said the documents would explain how the state accumulated its debt burden
NEW DELHI: The West Bengal government will publish department-wise white papers outlining alleged irregularities, incomplete projects and financial mismanagement under the previous Trinamool Congress administration, finance minister Swapan Dasgupta told the Assembly on Thursday.Responding to the debate on the state budget, Dasgupta said the documents would explain how the state accumulated its debt burden and identify the factors behind delays in the execution of several projects. “We are considering bringing out white papers department by department. The finance department will explain how such mismanagement led to the huge debt burden. Other departments will explain why projects remained incomplete and why certain situations arose,” he said.Dasgupta said the government also planned to place reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General in the public domain, arguing that they had not received adequate attention in the past.Referring to points raised by legislators during the budget discussion, the minister said members had highlighted alleged irregularities in areas including land allotment, wetlands management and the implementation of development projects. According to Dasgupta, the proposed white papers would seek to fix accountability while offering the public a clearer understanding of the state’s financial position and the governance challenges inherited by the present administration.
