Asok raises stakes in civic funds fight

Mayor Asok Bhattacharya and MP Kunal Ghosh in Siliguri on Saturday. Picture by Passang Yolmo

BIRESWAR BANERJEE, TT, Mar 11, 2018, Siliguri: Siliguri Mayor Asok Bhattacharya on Saturday earned appreciation from Congress and from dissident Trinamul MP Kunal Ghosh for being able to collect funds from MPs and MLAs of different political parties for infrastructural development of Siliguri.

Ghosh also announced allocation of more funds at the function, organised here at Siliguri Municipal Corporation to lay the foundation stones of projects which would be carried out by using the funds provided by elected representatives of different political parties. In total, 73 projects worth Rs 9.57 crores would be taken up by the civic body, said the mayor.

. "I have repeatedly visited Calcutta and requested state minister for municipal affairs department and secretaries of different departments to release funds for SMC so that development worked can be taken up in Siliguri. But till date, we have not received any amount from the state. I am grateful to the MLAs and MPs from BJP, Congress and also MP Kunal Ghosh, who have helped us without any political biasness," said Bhattacharya at the function.

Congress MLA of Matigara-Naxalbari Assembly seat Shankar Malakar, who was present on the dais, appreciated the mayor as "good administrator" who did not hesitate to appeal to representatives of rival political parties.

"He (Bhattacharya) has proved himself to be a 'Good Administrator' by managing to collect funds for different projects from MPs or MLAS of all political parties. We must not mix up politics with development," the Congress MLA said.

Pradip Bhattacharya, a Congress MP, has provided Rs 50 lakhs to the civic body.

Ghosh, the only MP who was present on the occasion, has given Rs 2.8 crores from his MP fund for improvement of different infrastructural project of the city. On Saturday, he announced assistance of another Rs 61 lakhs for developing the local crematorium.

"I must appreciate the mayor as he appealed to the elected representatives of different political parties managed to gather funds. I have no hesitation to extend more help for improvement of Siliguri in future," said Ghosh.

Among others who have provided funds Roopa Ganguly of BJP, ousted CPM MP Ritabrata Banerjee, and Left MPs Sitaram Yechuri and Tapan Sen. Bhattacharya himself has allotted Rs 60 lakhs from his own MLA fund.