Garbage tells on bonhomie

TT, Siliguri, June 14: The apparent bonhomie between Trinamul minister Gautam Deb and CPM mayor Asok Bhattacharya has ended in about a week over the issue of dumping Siliguri's garbage.

Today, the north Bengal development minister asked how the mayor had taken the decision to form a committee comprising civic officials and representatives of the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority, Deb's ministry and some other officials from the Jalpaiguri district administration to resolve the dumping ground problem without taking him into confidence.

Deb said he had no intention to criticise the Siliguri Municipal Corporation which is scouting for an alternative site to relocate its sole dumpyard from the existing location at Baikunthapally.

"The mayor has formed a committee yesterday that will try to resolve the dumping ground problem. But what surprised me was that he had included representatives from the NBDD, SJDA and officials from the district administration of Jalpaiguri in the committee. All I would like to know is whether the mayor can include government officials in any such committee without taking the consent of the respective departments," Deb said.

Local people residing in areas close to the dumping ground had blocked garbage-laden civic trucks at the site for two days - last Thursday and Friday - demanding that the civic body relocate the yard.

The civic authorities were forced to hurriedly call the agitators to a meeting yesterday, where it was decided that a 14-member committee, comprising officials of different departments, councillors and the agitators, would be formed.

"The committee will look into the issue and try to resolve the problem within one month," an SMC source had said.

Following the decision, the agitators had withdrawn their blockade.

"I don't want to criticise the intention of the civic body.... All I am questioning is the mayor's jurisdiction for including government officials in the committee without departmental consent," Deb said.

Bhattacharya, when asked for a reaction, said he was aware of rules and that no such committee had been formed as yet.

"Considering the trouble faced by local people who stay close to the dumping yard, we have agreed to find out an alternative location," the mayor said.

"As a part of this plan, we had a meeting with them where it was proposed to form a committee comprising representatives from all state departments concerned and even the locals," Bhattacharya said, in a way contradicting the reported development yesterday.

"We have just made the proposal and intend to place it at the board meeting (scheduled for June 16). Also, we will follow all relevant procedures to constitute the committee and are aware that we need to take consent from the respective departments," he added.

Garbage collection resumed in Siliguri town today, to the relief of residents.