Special packages for UP, Bihar; Bengal ignored

New Delhi: In an apparent attempt to woo the Samajwadi Party ahead of the President polls and reform agenda, the government is finalising a special package for Uttar Pradesh. This comes after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asked for a Rs 90,000 crore package for the state.

The Prime Minister's Officer has called a meeting of UP's chief secretary and secretaries of eight economic ministries on July 11 to finalise the plan. Sources say a similar package for Bihar may also be discussed.

But government sources ruled out any such plan for West Bengal. In fact, the government has also said no to another one of Mamata Banerjee's demands for an interest waiver on loan taken by the Left government.

The question is whether this is a reward for Nitish Kumar and Mulayam Singh Yadav for supporting Pranab\'s candidature.

The question is whether this is a reward for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for supporting Pranab Mukherjee's candidature in the President poll. While the two have announced their support for Pranab, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is still silent on who will she support.

The Prime Minister is also working at reform policies and a go-ahead with FDI in retail to overcome the policy paralysis tag.

This comes at a time when Pranab Mukerjee is campaigning in Kolkata for the Presidential election. Pranab will be meeting CPI(M) legislators and the Congress leaders in the state on Monday.

Mamata Banerjee has been pressing for a special financial package for West Bengal since the time she came into power in the state in 2011.

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