The Left Front has slammed what it called poor civic services and expressed concerns over the law and order situation in Siliguri. According to Darjeeling district Left Front convener Jibesh Sarkar, people had faced water problems, poor drainage system, and deplorable road conditions.

Residents had faced problems due to the irregular supply of drinking water on Friday and Saturday. “The civic board has failed to address the problem of drinking water. Residents had to face a tough time fetching potable water. The condition of many roads remained deplorable. The drainage system has remained poor. The board does not value Opposition councillors. In a democratic system, opinions of the Opposition should be heard. Through this they are disrespecting the residents,” Mr Sarkar said.

He said they were concerned about the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the town. “A number of incidents has occurred in recent months, but we have observed inaction of the police in many cases. The incidents are not limited to theft and snatching, but there has been a rise in anti-social activities, crime against women,” he said. According to veteran CPIM councillor Saradindu Chakraborty, Trinamul Congress came at the helm of the corporation by promising residents development, but that practically the same had remained in words.

“The roads are battered in all the wards under the SMC, and accidents are taking place on the roads. No concrete step has been taken to address the problem of drinking water, while the drainage system has collapsed. We will raise those issues in the monthly board meeting on 30 December,” he said. Countering the charges, Siliguri deputy mayor Ranjan Sarkar, on the other hand, said the civic body was been ensuring that residents get the services properly.

“We always welcome constructive criticism, but baseless charges do not have any importance. The residents are aware about the role of the corporation and they will judge our performance,” Mr Sarkar said. Meanwhile, a senior police officer said police were acting properly to maintain law and order situation. “We are taking swift action in most cases and best efforts have been made to nab culprits in some cases. There is no question of deterioration of law and order,” he said. According to Mr Sarkar, people in the town were safe and they felt secured. “However, there have been some stray incidents, which should not have occurred. Police are doing their duty,” he added.