West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has sought to blame the Centre for the chit fund scam, has claimed that the Central Government reduced the rate of interest in small savings to drive depositors towards ponzi schemes.
“It is because the Centre has reduced the interest rates in small savings in the post office, poor people and those who have retired keep their money in these chit funds with the hope of getting a little higher interest,” the Chief Minister said in an article in the latest issue of the weekly ‘Ma, Mati Manush’.
“Not only the Centre has reduced interest, it has also reduced the commission for agents of small savings in post office. This is also a contributory factor behind the thriving of chitfunds,” Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, said.
In a directive to her partymen, she said, the people have to be convinced that the alleged chit fund scam by the Saradha Group thrived because of the indulgence of the Congress and the CPI(M).
“It has to be remembered that there is bound to be grievances if the hard-earned money of the people is defrauded. But the people have to be convinced that the Congress and CPI(M) are behind those who are engaged in this fraud. A campaign has to be taken to the people that the Ma, Mati, Manush government is in no way responsible for it.” Banerjee said.
“I am asking all our party MPs, MLAs, ministers, workers and supporters that a campaign has to be launched to convince the people that chit funds have mushroomed due to encouragement of the CPI(M) and the Congress and there should not be any laxity in this regard,” she said.