The forest department did not include its minister Jyotipriya Mallick’s name in the list of guests for its three-day annual festival ‘Banmahotsav’ scheduled from 22 December at the state Legislative Assembly.
Mr Mallick, an accused in the ration distribution scam, has been undergoing treatment at the state-run SSKM Hospital after he was arrested by the central agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) in October. The festival is organized jointly by the forest department and West Bengal Legislative Assembly every year at the house premises.
The invitation list includes Dr Ashish Banerjee, deputy Speaker, parliamentary affairs minister sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Leader of Opposition Suevndu Adhikari, minister of state for forest Birbaha Hansda, ruling Trinamul Congress MLA and chief government whip in the Assembly Nirmal Ghosh, deputy chief whip Tapas Roy and BJP MLA and chief opposition whip Manoj Tigga.
Sources in the forest department felt that the state government didn’t want any controversy by including Mr Mallick’s name in the invitation list of guests because he is still in the custody of the ED, probing the alleged ration distribution scam.
“He is still a cabinet minister heading the forest department and his office rooms are still there in the Aranya Bhavan, forest department headquarters at Salt Lake, and Legislative Assembly respectively. \
The two rooms also carry his name plate each. In order to avoid any controversy, his name has not been included in the list of guests,” the sources said requesting anonymity. His seat earmarked for a forest minister in the Assembly had remained vacant in the recently-ended winter Session of the House, they said