Left stir against TMC ‘non-cooperation’

SNS Siliguri, | 19 October, 2015: The Darjeeling district Left Front is all set to launch a movement in October against the delay in the notification for the formation of boards in elected rural bodies, alleged horsetrading of the ruling party and alleged non-cooperation of north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb in matters related to the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC).

"The three-tier rural polls were held here after 15 months from its scheduled time, and the results were declared on 7 October, but so far the state government has not issued the gazette notification for the formation of the boards. In the meantime, the ruling party has engaged in horsetrading, while police are threatening elected representatives and have framed false case against those not belonging to the ruling party. Without winning a single seat in the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP), the Trinamul had unethically captured the SMP earlier. We will reach out to the people and we have decided to organise marches to offices of block development officers of the four blocks and also to the office of the Siliguri Sub Divisional Officer on 28 October, demanding immediate issuance of the notification and against the horse-trading," district Left Front convener and CPI-M district secretary Jibesh Sarkar said on Sunday. There are four blocks in the sub-division-Matigara, Naxalbari, Phansidewa and Kharibari.

"Trinamul Congress did not accept the mandate of the people in the civic polls and in order to take revenge against the Left Front-run civic board, north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb has said they will not provide funds to the SMC from the North Bengal Development Department and the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority. He is not cooperating with the civic board. They are not only misusing power, but also showing the ugly face of power. We strongly condemn such gestures," Sarkar said. He said the Left will organise a protest meet in Siliguri on 5 November.

"If necessary, we will organise big movements. Trinamul Congress did not learn any lesson from its defeats in the two elections (SMC and SMP rural polls) and is waiting for another defeat in the Assembly elections," Sarkar said.

According to him, the Left Front has already decided on the names of the sabhadhipati and sahakari sabhadhipati in the nine seat SMP. The Left Front defeated the Trinamul Congress in the SMP polls 6-3.

Sources said the Left Front has selected Tapas Sarkar, a teacher at Bagdogra College, for the post of the sabhadhipati.

Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya said that if the names of the mayors of civic bodies in Bidhannagar and Asansol can be declared in no time, "why has there been a delay in the issuance of the notification for formation of the rural bodies here?"