Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday instructed party's MPs to clear the projects under MPLAD funds as Lok Sabha elections could take place "any day".
Instructing Sajda Ahmed, MP of Uluberia Parliamentary constituency, to sanction Rs 25 lakh for a health centre project in Shyampur, Banerjee said: "The task of clearing the project should be taken up immediately as elections could be announced any day." In the same breath, she directed that projects under MPLAD funds should be completed by the end of September or early October maximum.
She was presiding over the administrative review meeting in Howrah on Thursday afternoon in which Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Cooperation Minister Arup Roy, Minister of State for Youth Services and Sports Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Chief Secretary Malay De along with senior officials of all other departments were also present.
The issue related to the MPLAD funds came up when MLA from Shyampur Assembly constituency, Kalipada Mondal, placed a request for repairing of the health centre in his area. Banerjee directed the MP to give another Rs 25 lakh for its repair work for which former MP Sultan Ahmed had spent Rs 10 lakh. She also directed to expedite work as there was no proper progress during the past two months due to the Panchayat polls. "I have repeatedly said that development works shouldn't get hampered due to elections," she maintained.
She took a strong exception after Army personnel put a school under lock and key during the summer vacation.
She said: "Bishops from Kolkata came to me on Wednesday. They run a school in Barrackpore Cantonment. The school was established in 1836. It is an English medium school and famous all over the country. Army personnel put the school under lock and key. I have spoken to the Chief Secretary in this connection and asked him to take up the matter with the Army."
Raising a question regarding the fate of the students, the Chief Minister said: "They have locked the school after they saw a church inside. The school is the pride of our state and moreover, a case is going on in this connection. Then how come they lock the school and offer Rs 2 lakh to vacate the place."
She further said: "We respect the Army. But in this case, if needed we will compensate them with two cottahs land from the state government's land bank. But we will not allow the century-old school to get wind up."
The Chief Minister attacked the Centre saying that they are also closing Bengal Chemicals and have closed the profit-making Burn Standard Company in Howrah, which was taken over by her when she was the Railways Minister. "We shouldn't forget that there are plans to deprive Bengal in one way or the other, so we have to overcome such situations tactfully." She also added that there would be no other alternative apart from organising mass movements if a work is not carried out by the Centre even after repeated requests. In connection with a project of the Railways, she said her government is against the eviction of people at gunpoint and would not go for it to execute any project.
She also enquired about the areas in the district which are "sensitive" in terms of law and order problem. She directed the police to maintain strict vigil and also to carry out coordination with the Government Railway Police as major junctions are the transit points to bring in "illegal firearms and money".
After taking stock of the law and order situation in different parts of the district, Banerjee also directed senior officials to ensure setting up of police stations at Dhulagarh, Chandrapur and Amta. A police outpost will also be constructed near Ghoraberia from where people can enter Howrah from adjoining districts. Moreover, the post of Officer-in-Charge of Sankrail police station will be upgraded to Inspector-in-Charge.