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.

Patashpur turns into a battlefield after police and locals involve in a clash over discrepancy on distribution of Amphan relief package

Patashpur turns into a battlefield after police and locals involve in a clash over discrepancy on distribution of Amphan relief package

The situation turned violent when the Trinamul Congress panchayat samity sabhapati of Pataspur –II block, Chandan Sahoo reached the spot. As soon as he reached there, hundreds of agitating people rushed to him and started hurling abusive languages at him. They held him responsible for allotting relief funds to the names of his relatives. Some of them even thrashed him.

                      Biswabrata Goswami

MIDNAPORE, 3 JULY: Once again Patashpur in East Midnapore turned into a battlefield when a large section of police reached Matirampur under Patashpur police station limits where hundreds of people staged a sit-in-demonstration on the Egra – Bajkul state highway to protest against the irregularities in the distribution of Amphan relief package today.

Hundreds of local residents put up a blockade on the state highway demanding distribution of Amphan relief to the people who originally lost their houses or suffered most during the impact of the super cyclone Amphan.

The agitating people raised fingers at the local Trinamul Congress leaders for grabbing relief funds meant for the beneficiaries. They held the Trinamul leaders responsible for nepotism.

The situation turned violent when the Trinamul Congress panchayat samity sabhapati of Pataspur –II block, Chandan Sahoo reached the spot. As soon as he reached there, hundreds of agitating people rushed to him and started hurling abusive languages at him. They held him responsible for allotting relief funds to the names of his relatives. Some of them even thrashed him.

On hearing the news, a large section of police reached there and rescued Sahoo from the clutches of the agitating people.

A section of irate mob then involved in a clash with the police persons and soon the area turned into a battlefield.

The police officials led by Sheikh Aktar Ali, sub-divisional police officer, Egra resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the mob.

According to police sources, a huge contingent of force was called in to control the situation. “Two rounds were fired in the air to bring the situation under control,” a district police officer said.

He said the villagers were agitating over the irregularities in Amphan relief funds which reportedly went to various fake accounts, thus depriving those who were actually affected by the cyclone.

A senior police official said several persons including a few police persons were injured during the clash and they have been admitted to the local hospital for treatment.

Though, no persons involved in the clash have been arrested yet, but the police have initiated a suo-motto case against some unidentified persons. The police also started identifying people who carried out ransacking roadside shops and stranded vehicles.

Local Trinamul Congress leaders alleged the BJP had instigated people to begin agitation against their party leaders and they turned the situation violent when the police reached there.

The BJP leaders, however, alleged it was a spontaneous agitation by the local residents who are being deprived of getting Amphan relief funds. As the TMC leaders involved in nepotism and distributed funds amongst their groups, the locals became furious and put up a road block. But, police resorted to a lathi charge on those who are being deprived.