Ministers in ugly face-off at govt programme, get Mamata tick-off

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has cautioned the state Food Processing and Horticulture Minister Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury and Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Sabitri Mitra for their differences in opinion during a programme which was organised to distribute land rights (patta) in Malda on Thursday.

Trinamool Congress MP Suvendu Adhikary, who is also the party’s observer for Malda, said the party doesn’t permit such behaviour and the Chief Minister had cautioned both the ministers. 

Chowdhury, who is also the chairman of English Bazar Municipality, has also been cautioned for his behavior with government officials. 

“Chief Minister is aggrieved and she has directed me and Subrata Bakshi to caution them. Chowdhury has expressed his unconditional regret to the Chief Minister by sending an SMS in this connection,” he said.

Adhikary said Chowdhury had been asked not to behave in this manner with anyone in future. 

Chief Minister had asked Adhikary and Bakshi to talk to Chowdhury and Sabitri soon after receiving the information about Thursday’s incident during the patta distribution programme in Malda.

The patta distribution programme was organised by the state refugee relief and rehabilitation department. Beside the ministers of the department, several other dignitaries, officials of the department and beneficiaries were present in the programme. 

Around 200 landless people were about to get patta on Thursday.

Chowdhurry reached the venue and claimed that the programme was organised without consulting the councillors of the Municipality in ward number 4 of English Bazar. The land was transferred to the civic body in 1982.

He had also contacted a councillor of English Bazar Municipality to know whether he was informed about the programme.  

He also shouted at some officials of the refuge relief and rehabilitation department. Mitra finally intervened saying that the land was vested with the state government and there was no need to take permission of the civic body.

Some senior officials of the department tried to normalise the situation, but Chowdhury left the venue and later the programme was also suspended.