As mayor cries foul, Deb set to unveil Siliguri projects

SNS Siliguri, | 16 October, 2015: At a time when Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya has been complaining about north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb's "interference" in affairs of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), the latter is determined to take up some projects for Siliguri.

"We have taken up five to six projects for the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area. After formation of the SMC, we have not announced any development project for the areas here. So this will be the first time after the formation of the SMC board in May that I will be announcing some projects via the media very soon," the minister said on Thursday after holding his departmental meeting at Uttarkanya here.

He, however, refused to get into the details when asked to give a hint on one project.

"I will announce it shortly, could be even before the pujas," he said.

It may be mentioned that citing many examples, the Siliguri mayor has been protesting the "interference" and "noncooperation" of the state government on issues related to development in the SMC areas.

"Mamata Banerjee used to complain against the Union government for its interference in several issues which are state subjects. But in case of self-governing local bodies, why is her Cabinet colleague Gautam Deb not abiding by the rules of relations between the local bodies and state government, just like the relations between the Union government and the state governments?" Bhattacharya said.

"The state should adopt a resolution on the action plans for development in consultation with the local bodies. But on the contrary, the north Bengal development minister is carrying out some work here by keeping the SMC in the dark," the mayor said.

"The minister can send proposals to us. We will discuss them and select them. But we will never tolerate any unilateral interference through his north Bengal development department or the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority," he added.

It may be noted that Deb had allotted a huge amount of funds for the development of the corporation areas before the elections and the formation of the SMC board. Deb always claims that Rs.200 crore has been spent on the SMC area before the polls.

However, this will be the first time the minister will be announcing projects after the defeat in the SMC polls and formation of the Left Front civic board.