In what is being seen as a significant political development, a state cabinet minister will attend a programme organised by the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) for the first time in the over five-year period after the Left won the civic body elections and formed the board.
Urban development and municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim is all set to inaugurate the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Siliguri on 30 November.
Political analysts said the development is significant ahead of the Assembly elections due for next year.
“Neither a state minister was invited for such inauguration by the civic body, nor a minister had attended any such programme in the last five years,” a source said.
The chairperson of the board of administrators (BoA) of the SMC and veteran CPIM leader Asok Bhattacharya said Mr Hakim will be arriving in Siliguri on 29 November for the inauguration. The SMC has also invited PWD minister Aroop Biswas as the chief guest, and tourism minister Gautam Deb as the special guest.
The tenure of the elected Left Front-run civic board ended on 18 May this year.
“It is perhaps for the first time in the last five years that the civic body has invited a state minister for such inauguration in Siliguri and it will be also for the first time a minister will inaugurate a bust or a project of the SMC in the last five years. The corporation has invited two other state ministers. The development comes at a time when the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to keep the ruling party under pressure a few months ahead of the elections,” said an analyst.
The Left camp, on the other hand, said the invitation to the ministers was just “courtesy.”
According to Mr Bhattacharya, minister Hakim has consented to inaugurate the bust. The BoA will also submit a memorandum to Mr Hakim over Siliguri’s development.
“We have sought his appointment and would like to have detailed discussions with him. We will request him to immediately sanction the solid waste management project, to address the drinking water problems and others,” Mr Bhattacharya said.
He said Matigara-Naxalbari MLA and state Congress working president Sankar Malakar, and Trinamul Congress, BJP and Congress ward coordinators will also be invited to the inauguration event.
The issue of installation of the Gnadhi bust had led to a war of words between Mr Bhattacharya and Mr Deb. The SMC had to shift the place for the bust after the PWD denied permission. However, the present place where the bust will come up near the Siliguri Post Office on Kutchery Road is also owned by the PWD.
Meanwhile, Mr Bhattacharya said the urban development and municipal affairs department had approved the bio-mining and removal and legacy waste for Siliguri. The bio-mining procedure involves segregation of waste into organic and inorganic categories.
“The state government has approved the project, which will help reduce waste at dumping yards. A work order of Rs 18 crore has been sanctioned, and engineers of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority will be visiting here in a day or two,” he added.