Trinamul Congress suspends 25 panchayat workers and leaders in Nandigram-I block for nepotism and corruption in distribution of Amphan fund

Trinamul Congress suspends 25 panchayat workers and leaders in Nandigram-I block for nepotism and corruption in distribution of Amphan fund

Meghnath Pal, party’s block sabhapati of Nandigram-I block said, “The party has suspended 24 workers and leaders who have been found guilty in several corruption cases including the distribution of financial compensation to the tune of Rs 20000 to the people affected in cyclone Amphan. The party had warned them and asked them to return the fund. But, these men did not respond to the show cause notices. So, the party has decided to suspend them from the party.”

Biswabrata Goswami

Hummingbird News

MIDNAPORE, 7 JULY: The Trinamul Congress, today, suspended 25 of its panchayat workers and leaders in Nandigram-I block of East Midnapore over allegations of nepotism and corruption in distribution of financial compensation to the people affected by super cyclone Amphan hit the state on 20 May.

Earlier on Sunday, the party had issued show cause notices to around 200 such workers and leaders over the aforesaid allegations. Around 85 of those Trinamul workers who received show-cause notice from the party have returned the compensation of Rs 20000 that the government transferred to their bank accounts for repairing homes.

While announcing the party’s decision after conducting a core-committee meeting held today, Meghnath Pal, party’s block sabhapati of Nandigram-I block said, “The party has suspended 24 workers and leaders who have been found guilty in several corruption cases including the distribution of financial compensation to the tune of Rs 20000 to the people affected in cyclone Amphan. The party had warned them and asked them to return the fund. But, these men did not respond to the show cause notices. So, the party has decided to suspend them from the party.”

“Other workers against whom show cause notices served have immediately responded and most of them have already returned the money. A few of them will return within two days”, Pal told The Statesman.

The state government had released a relief package of Rs 6,800 crore. A part of this amount is being spent as compensation for those whose houses were damaged by cyclone Amphan. But there have been complaints that thousands of people whose houses were not damaged also got the money.

“TMC will conduct a survey in all 25 community blocks in the district and take action against errant workers,” said Sisir Adhikari, a veteran TMC MP and the party’s East Midnapore unit president.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said on Monday that the state government is rectifying the lapses which might have occurred in its efforts to pay the compensation to the victims quickly.

“A few lapses might have taken place while we fast- tracked the compensation payment process on an emergency basis. We are rectifying the anomalies. Every affected family will receive the monetary relief,” she had said.

Criticising the TMC’s move against its own workers, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, “Why is the ruling party reluctant to lodge FIRs against the corrupt TMC leaders? If they know the culprits, why are they delaying in taking serious action against them?”

Courtesy: Images from iNET.