CPI (M) leaders and activists today put up a demonstration in front of the office of the BDO in Raiganj in North Dinajpur district. They were protesting the closure of the office of the Raiganj Panchayat Samity around a fortnight ago, allegedly by activists of the Trinamul Congress.
The protesters later met the BDO and submitted a memorandum, demanding that the panchayat samity office be opened for public soon. They also threatened to launch a stern movement if the demand was not met. It is learnt that the office was shut after a scuffle between two alleged groups of TMC members on 27 May. “The two groups fought over tenders for some government work. One group belonged to the TMC MLA from Hemtabad, Satyajit Barman, and the other belonged to the TMC MLA from Raiganj, Krishna Kalyani. TMC members of the Raiganj Panchayat Samity then locked the office for an indefinite period. Since then, common people visiting the office are not being given services,” a source said today. One members of the North Dinajpur CPI (M) committee, Nilkamal Saha, said, “TMC leaders have kept the office of the Raiganj panchayat samity under lock and key 18 days ago after a scuffle between their two groups on a tender issue. Common people are being harassed because of this. We demanded that the BDO take steps to open the office soon for the public. Otherwise we will be compelled to go for a continuous movement against the TMC members of the Panchayat Samity.”
According to the BDO, Raiganj, Suvajit Mandal, the office of the panchayat samity will reopen for public “very soon.”