Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday criticised the Maoists for opposing the construction of a power grid in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas.
She was addressing the administrative review meeting of North 24 Parganas at Sukanta Sadan in Barrackpore on Tuesday afternoon.
Some MLAs, who were present at the administrative meeting, pointed out that there was a problem of voltage fluctuation in some pockets of North 24 Parganas.
A visibly annoyed Banerjee said: "What can I do? The Maoists have misinformed the people about the project and have been joined by BJP, Congress and CPI(M). Theydo not work and their only business is to spoil projects. Do you want to see clear pictures on your television sets or blurry ones?" she asked.
Without naming the Opposition parties, she said that there are some whose only purpose in life is to create trouble and to ensure that projects are stalled.
The villagers in Bhangar have been opposing the construction of a power grid in the area for the past three months. They have attacked policemen, set their vehicles on fire and blocked the roads to keep them from reaching the villages. The "outsiders" camping in the village told the villagers that there would be health hazards if the power grid becomes functional and that agriculture would be adversely affected. As a result, the villagers are not allowing high tension cables to pass through their land.
Banerjee had announced that without the consent of the villagers, the construction of the power grid would not be resumed. The power grid would have benefited lakhs of people living in the remote parts of South and North 24 Parganas, including Sunderbans. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leaders are meeting the villagers and are trying to coax them to agree to the construction of the power grid.
Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, state Power minister, said some people have misinformed the villagers about the project. "Development in the Sunderbans will be badly hit if the construction of the power grid is stalled. These are anti-people movements and it is unfortunate that the leaders are drawing a parallel between this movement and the one which had been launched by Mamata Banerjee in Singur in 2008."
Local Trinamool Congress leaders said that outsiders are holding secret meetings with the villagers and are inciting them against the state government. "Their sole purpose is to spread canards against Mamata Banerjee," they maintained.