Siliguri, June 11 -- With the state budget slated to be presented on June 22, newly appointed West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta on Thursday launched the government's pre-budget consultation process from North Bengal, alleging the region has been "neglected and deprived" for decades.
Dasgupta arrived here in the morning and held an interactive session with representatives of trade, industry, business bodies and other stakeholders at Uttarkanya, the state government's branch secretariat.
Addressing reporters before the meeting, the Finance Minister said the visit was aimed solely at gathering public feedback for the upcoming budget and should not be viewed through a political lens.
"This is my first visit to North Bengal after t...