CM berates dist officials over delay in projects & graft at kisan mandi
kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her dissatisfaction over the delay of a number of projects in Bankura district and at the same time pulled up a section of leaders at the Panchayat level for showing non-cooperation with the District Magistrate and Police superintendent. Some kisan mandis that have been allegedly cheating farmers through faulty weighing machines also earned the ire of the Chief Minister at the administrative review meeting on Tuesday.
Banerjee inaugurated 76 projects in Bankura from her meeting at Rabindra Bhavan worth Rs 380 crore and also laid the foundation stone of several projects. Referring to as many as 34 projects that include water projects, construction of stadiums and ITIs which are being delayed for over 5 years, Banerjee told District Magistrate K Radhika Aiyar that officials involved in these projects deserve to get their ears pulled. "A section of government officials are lackadaisical in their work and depriving the common people from deriving benefits and the government is being blamed for it," rued Banerjee. She pointed out that negligence in tenders for delay in certain projects have come to the fore. "The Zilla Parishad and the Panchayat Samitis are taking a lot of time in the tender process. There have been instances of favoritism in tenders. There is a lack of engineers at the Panchayat level. Engineers from Howrah Improvement Trust (HIT) and Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC) are sitting idle. Involve them in the projects and fast-track the pending projects," said Banerjee. She also directed blacklisting agencies that have been delaying projects . In stern words, Banerjee, referring to Zilla Sabhadhipati Mrityunjoy Murmu, said that if somebody thinks that DMs and SPs will be reshuffled frequently, they are wrong. "You are the Sabhadhipati of ZP and you have to work together taking the DM and the SP into confidence. In Bengal we are proud to have eight women DMs (including Bankura), said Banerjee.
Referring to a project where the PWD department's tender is being delayed for a long time, Banerjee directed the Zilla Sabhadhipati and the DM to submit a probe report within seven days. Banerjee's warning perhaps came in the wake of a video going viral in social media a few days back where the Zilla Sabhadhipati had lashed out at the DM alleging that several flies are pending with her. There were posters regarding removal of the DM in some areas following this.
Banerjee was also vocal regarding two kisan mandis located at Payrachali village in Chatna and Bankadaha in Bishnupur over allegations of faulty weighing machines providing reduced weight of paddy and even refusing to purchase paddy from an old farmer traveling a reasonable distance from his residence to sell the same.Banerjee came down heavily upon officials of the Food and Supplies department involved in functioning of these mandis. She prescribed installation of CCTVs at the kisan mandis and proper certification of the machines there. She also directed monitoring of the machines through surprise visits so that farmers are not fleeced by any means.
Banerjee also called for making the Bangla Sahayata Kendras more active. "BDOs should take complaints from BSKs once in a week and address them accordingly," Banerjee directed.
