Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, during a meeting with the police top brass in the city, districts and state and bureaucrats, including district magistrates and departmental secretaries, reiterated that the cash-strapped government was not looking at starting new projects except those considered essential.

“The Centre owes us more than Rs 90,000crore. We have not received any funds from the Centre. No projects which are not approved in the budget will be taken up. Only the chief secretary and finance secretary can issue new work orders,” said Mamata at the Netaji Indoor stadium on Thursday afternoon.

The chief minister said the state’s revenue collections were hit by the Covid pandemic raging since the last two years.

Among the ongoing projects that the government will continue to fund is a temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath, the resident deity of Puri in neighbouring Odisha and a major pilgrim destination for Bengalis, as well as a circuit tourism plan worth Rs 1.19crore involving temples at Kachua and Chakla, both in North 24-Parganas.

Till July 2018, the Mamata Banerjee government in its first two terms had spent around Rs 350crore for renovation of temples and adjoining areas.

At the meeting, Mamata said no to a Rs 100crore proposal to buy land in Malda for a project.

“I cannot give Rs 100crore (to the landlosers). I will build houses for them, provide jobs but I cannot buy their land. I don’t have that kind of money,” Mamata said during her interaction with officials from Malda district.

The implications of the chief minister’s statement, say her political rivals, was that no party other than hers and no leader other than her could get any project approved by the state government.

“As it is, Opposition MLAs have long ceased to be a part of the development conversation in the state. Since many years now at district administrative meetings that chief minister chairs, Opposition MLAs are not invited. Our projects and recommendations remain buried under other files," said a BJP MLA.

In the tenures of three different leaders of the Opposition since 2011--- CPM’s Surjya Kanta Mishra, Congress’ Abdul Mannan and now BJP’s Suvendu Adhikary--- Opposition legislators have not enjoyed the confidence of the treasury benches.

“At least both Mishra and Mannan da got to meet her time and again. In these eight-nine months, the chief minister has not once met the leader of the Opposition,” said an Assembly source.

Suvendu, once among the most trusted band of leaders, switching to the BJP ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections had soured ties, and what took it to a point of no return was his defeating her from Nandigram. Suvendu is only the second person in Bengal’s political history to have defeated Mamata after the CPM’s Malini Bhattacharya.

During her meeting on Thursday, Mamata alluded that a conspiracy was on to instigate riots in East Midnapore, the home turf of the Adhikarys, now bitter foes.

“There is a plan to create communal disturbance in East Midnapore. This is being done by one political party. Be careful. I am getting complaints from your district,” Mamata told Amarnath K, the superintendent of police, East Midnapore.

The chief minister also expressed her unhappiness with the tardy progress made in the students’ credit card scheme that was launched last year and pulled up minister Arup Roy and departmental secretary M.V. Rao.

She was also unhappy with the performance of West Burdwan district in construction of rural roads.

“Why are you (West Burdwan district) lagging behind in everything? What is wrong?” she asked.

Mamata also asked the police and the health department to expedite the processes of filling up vacancies.

Later in the day, Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikary questioned the timing of the meeting. “The state election commission has issued a notification for municipal elections. The model code of conduct has come into force now. In such a circumstance, how can the CM hold administrative meetings with SPs and DMs of the districts? It’s evident that chief electoral officer of West Bengal is influenced by TMC,” said Suvendu.