Demonetisation to be main issue of discussion in CM’s trip

Besides taking a stock of the ongoing development projects in Bankura and East Midnapore, effect of demonetisation on different sectors in the two districts is going to be one of the major issues for discussion in the administrative review meetings headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The Chief Minister will reach Khatra, which was a hub of Maoist activities in Bankura on Monday where she will attend a programme where hundreds of people will be receiving different benefits. She will also lay foundation stones of various projects. The same day, she will go to Mukutmanipur where she will hold the administrative review meeting for Bankura district on Tuesday.

After holding the administrative review meeting in Mukutmanipur, she will be returning to the city and on December 21 she will be going to Kolaghat, where she will hold the administrative meeting of East Midnapore district.

According to the administrative officials in the both the districts, this time besides preparing the reports on development of the ongoing projects in their respective districts, they had also prepared a report containing details on how different sectors, specially agriculture and tourism, had got affected due to demonetisation that led to cash crunch.

It may be mentioned that this is going to be the first district tour of the Chief Minister after demonetisation was announced. Banerjee has been fighting against the hasty decision of the Centre to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes without preparing the necessary plan of action.

Besides discussing on the development of the ongoing development projects and taking necessary decisions for the recent future for further development of the districts, she would also discuss about solutions which will help the common people as much as possible who has fallen victim to the “arbitrary decision of the Centre”.

There are several tourist spots in both Bankura and East Midnapore districts including Mukutmanipur, Mandarmani and Digha where hundreds of people visit round the year. The footfall increases, mainly at Mukutmanipur, in winter. The situation this time is comparatively different. The state Tourism minister, Goutam Deb, had also made the Assembly aware a few days ago, that the tourism sector is comparatively in a bad position due to demonetisation. Thus, it would be an issue to be discussed.

But according to the sources in district administration, steps taken to beautify Digha, Mandarmani and other tourist spots are going to be discussed in the meeting.

Starting from administrative officials to the rank and file of the district police, everyone was busy ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit in Bankura. The East Midnapore district authorities were also busy to complete the entire preparation at Kolaghat for the administrative review meeting. The police were found undertaking frisking operations in and around the venues in Bankura and the security arrangement has also been beefed up to avoid any untoward incident during the administrative review meeting.