Visibly upset, BJP’s Siliguri MLA Sankar Ghosh, who is also the chief whip of the Opposition in the state Assembly, expressed frustration over his inability to utilise the Bidhayak Fund (MLA fund) for local area development.
He criticised the local administration as well as the state government for the situation.
Demanding the intervention of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Mr Ghosh threatened to launch a protest, including staging dharnas in front of the Assembly and even at Nabanna.
Speaking to reporters, Sankar Ghosh said, “I intended to allocate my MLA funds to support development in the 33 wards of the Siliguri Assembly constituency and informed Siliguri mayor Goutam Deb about it. However, the unfortunate reality is that the mayor has not engaged with me on this matter, despite repeated demands from residents for road repairs and other developmental work. As a result, the people of these 33 wards are being deprived of basic amenities.”
He added that he had repeatedly raised the issue with the appropriate authorities, including the urban development department.
“The implementing agency for my MLA fund is the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA). However, both the Darjeeling district administration and the chairman of SJDA have failed to utilise the allotted funds. Instead, they are blaming each other for the inaction, even though the district magistrate is currently serving as the chairman of SJDA,” Mr Ghosh said.
He further stated: “I will seek permission from the Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari. If granted, I will raise this issue during the winter session of the Assembly and stage demonstrations in both the Assembly and Nabanna.”