KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday flayed the opposition for spreading slander about her government despite the state's economic progress, saying they were jealous of her development initiatives.
Launching the Parama Island Flyover, the state's longest, her first official function after her Bhutan tour, the Trinamool Congress chief also initiated projects for the New Town, on the north eastern fringes of Kolkata.
"Despite all the development, the opposition is indulging in politics of slander and spreading negativity.... They are jealous of the progress we have ushered in. I tell them to stay quiet," she said.
Her comments come at a time when re-polling is underway in two civic bodies in the state with the opposition - the Left Front, Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party - boycotting the balloting.
The Park Circus-EM Bypass flyover stretches 4.3 km, from the Park Circus seven-point crossing all the way to The Spring Club. It is expected to ease traffic to and from the airport.
Banerjee also used the opportunity to attack the central government for non-cooperation in infrastructure development projects.
"Despite non-cooperation from the centre, I am proud to say we took it upon ourselves to complete the project. The centre reneged on its promise of constructing this flyover. But we took it forward," she said.
Banerjee added: "Infrastructure is our asset. Our (West Bengal's) GDP growth is higher than the national average."