Kolkata, May 20, 2017: President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday lavished praise on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, lauding her government's competence especially in the education and health sectors.

"She is doing lot of work, in education, in health. I have been a part of the state politics for 50 years. After becoming President, I have come to the state so many times," the President said at a programme here.

"… From my personal experience I can say her government is working competently. I bless her as an elder. She is much younger to me," he added.

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Mukherjee, who was speaking at the inauguration of the Indian Institute of Liver and Digestive Sciences — Eastern India's first full-fledged healthcare institute dedicated to liver diseases — also commended Banerjee for taking immediate action after she received complaints that medical treatment was being "sold at an exorbitant cost".

Banerjee had in February met private hospital authorities and pulled up many of them for "unethical" money-making practices and followed it up by passing the stringent West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Bill, 2017 that led to the formation of a regulatory commission to monitor the activities of private healthcare providers.

"After receiving complaint that instead of service, treatment was being sold at an exorbitant cost, she has taken immediate action.

"She has spoken to doctors, talked to the departments concerned, and individual and organisations who are involved in the matter. And she has found out a way through discussions," Mukherjee said. (IANS)