Mamata slams Centre over fall in GDP

Kolkata, June 1: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised the Centre for the decline in GDP growth, saying her apprehension of "drastic decline in productivity" due to demonetization had proved to be true.

"Right at the time demonetization was announced by the central government, I had voiced my concern that the country would have to face severe loss of jobs and drastic decline in productivity due to demonetization," she said on Facebook. "My apprehension is now proven to be true."

The Trinamool Congress chief cited the latest GDP figures to buttress her claims.

"The Q4 GDP figure this fiscal has come down to 6.1 percent. The corresponding GDP figure in the previous fiscal was 7.9 per cent. So, the decline is nearly 2 percent point," she said.

"Rampant job loss has been reported across the country with the agriculture and unorganised sector in the worst shape. What have the people, who pushed the country to this crisis, to say," she asked.