Asok barb at Ghosh

TT, Siliguri, June 8: Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya today alleged that the north Bengal development department did not respond to communications from his office asking for an appointment with minister Rabindranath Ghosh who had been in town since yesterday.

Ghosh denied the allegations and said there was no communication from the mayor about a meeting.

"I heard that the NB development minister is in Siliguri and will hold meetings with officials to discuss development projects. Being the mayor, I, too, have some plans, which I wanted to discuss with him. The commissioner of the SMC contacted the deputy secretary of his department, seeking an appointment for me. But there was no response from the minister or his department," Bhattacharya said today.

"Last year, when the civic body was under a board of administrators, it had carried out work worth Rs 2.48 crore. The money was supposed to be paid by the north Bengal development department but we have not received it yet. We have some projects for which we need funds from the department. It is unfortunate that I did not get an appointment," he added.

After Bhattacharya took charge as the mayor last year, he tried to meet the PHE and urban development and municipal affairs minister. But he couldn't meet them.

Later, Bhattacharya met then north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb at Uttarkanya here.

Bhattacharya said: "I am hopeful that sooner or later, I will get an appointment. I have no plans to meet Ghosh immediately."

Ghosh said: "I don't know who the mayor had contacted. He has not spoken to me so far."