Bengal Ministers Don't Pick Call Even If We Ring 10 Times: Union Minister

Pratima Bhoumik, a Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, said those who are with the ministers also are scared to share the ministers' mobile numbers.

"Even if we call 10 times, ministers in West Bengal do not pick the calls...That is the situation," Union minister Pratima Bhoumik said in Lok Sabha while replying to queries on the implementation of a central government scheme in the state.

While raising a supplementary query during Question Hour on Tuesday, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said it has become a habit in West Bengal of not taking calls and not listening to us, as he took a swipe at the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state.

There were loud protests in the House by Trinamool Congress members against the remarks by the minister and Mr Chowdhury.

BJP member from West Bengal S S Ahluwalia raised supplementary questions related to the implementation of PM-DAKSH scheme in the state and asked whether the minister would talk to the officials concerned to sort out the issues.