CPI-M political bureau member Md Salim on Monday challenged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to disclose the amount of compensation the state received from the Centre to compensate farmers who parted with their land for the construction of a bypass road in Islampur in North Dinajpur.

“We want Miss Banerjee to declare how much money the state received from the central government for construction of the 11-kilometer bypass road from Bolancha to Illuabri along National Highway-31 in Islampur,” said Mr Salim, who is also the Raiganj MP.

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He further claimed that he has information that a huge amount of money to be paid as compensation to the farmers was “misappropriated by officials of the district administration and a group of TMC hooligans.” “In order to hide their dishonesty, they are taking farmers at gunpoint.

If the chief minister is honest in running the administration, we want her to look into the matter at the soonest,” said Mr Salim. It is learnt that Mr Salim on Monday met media persons in Raiganj where he criticized the huge gap in the amount which the farmers received against their land and the amount which the central government provided to the state for compensating the farmers.

“Officials of the North Dinajpur Zilla Parishad, officials of the Islampur sub-divisional administration and a section of TMC thugs forfeited the funds. We demand the CM to look into the matter soon. We want the district administration to provide the funds to the farmers following the land acquisition rule of the state established in 2013,” added Mr Salim said.