Deb's growth support offer for SMC board - New civic administration will be consulted by state on development projects, says minister

Deb unveils a booklet on projects
undertaken by the SJDA in Siliguri on
Sunday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

TT, Siliguri, May 10: North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb today said the Trinamul government wanted to execute development projects in Siliguri along with the new civic board, which is all set to be formed by the Left Front.

"We want to carry out development work in Siliguri along with the new civic board to be constituted soon. The civic board will be consulted on whatever development works the SJDA (Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority) and other agencies of the state government are planning. We hope the vision of the new civic board will match that of the state government as far as development is concerned," said the minister, who is the chairman of the SJDA.

Deb's statement came a day after Independent councillor Arabinda Ghosh extended support to the Left Front to form the board at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation. With Ghosh's backing, the Left can reach the majority mark of 24 in the 47-member civic board.

Asok Bhattacharya, the mayoral candidate of the Left, had told The Telegraph on April 28, the day municipal election results were announced, that he didn't want vindictive politics and sought co-operation from every quarter for the development of Siliguri.

"For the sake of Siliguri's development, if required, I will approach any state minister. We don't think this will be a problem at all. Let me reiterate that I don't want the politics of revenge but want to function through complete co-operation. I would also seek co-operation from north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb," he had said.

Gangotri Datta, who was the Congress mayor of the previous civic board, had alleged that the Trinamul government had imposed an "unofficial financial embargo" on the SMC and delayed the release of the funds.

Observers said the statement by Deb today was a hint that the state government was ready to co-operate with the Left-run board. According to them, Deb and Asok were offering olive branches to each other out of compulsions.

"Bhattacharya might face problems in running the civic board as the mayor if there is no co-operation from the state. On the other hand, it would be tough for Deb to carry out projects of the SJDA, his department and other state government agencies in Siliguri if he cannot take the civic board into confidence. So, the Left and Trinamul need each other," said an observer.

"The two leaders are making positive statements with regard to development as both the Left and Trinamul are focussing on Siliguri. It is almost certain that Deb will contest from Dabgram-Fulbari in the next Assembly polls also and the constituency has 14 wards of the SMC. As far as the Left is concerned, Asok Bhattacharya might be a candidate in the Assembly polls in Siliguri, which has the remaining 33 wards. At individual levels, the SMC area is important for both the leaders," added the observer.

Today, Deb also said the SJDA had decided to revive some of the projects which had earlier been taken up by the development agency but were stalled half-way after scams were reported in each of these projects.

"We have decided to finish the construction of the electrical crematoriums planned at Bagdogra, Mainaguri and Malbazar. These were taken up by the SJDA in 2013. We will also restart the implementation of the Mahananda Action Plan (which involves cleaning and beautification of the Mahananda river and two other rivulets flowing through Siliguri). An expert in Calcutta will be consulted in this regard," he said.

"Another project which had been stopped was the installation of CCTV cameras at different locations of the town. We will revive this project also and maintain trident lights along different roads and streets," he added.

The alleged scam of Rs 60 crore in the SJDA related to the advanced payment of money to at least five private companies which had been awarded contracts to build crematoriums, clean the Mahananda and two other rivulets, and install CCTV cameras.

Deb also unveiled a booklet on the projects taken up by the SJDA in the past two fiscal years - 2013-14 and 2014-15