Murshidabad: ‘Tender selection panel’ to check cut money

BEHRAMPORE: With agitations against cut money co-ntinuing across West Bengal, the Murshidabad zilla parishad on Friday formed a 6-member tender selection committee that includes two karmadhakshyas.
The state government has already appointed a mentor and co-mentor for all zilla parishads.
Many karmadhyakshas of Murshidabad zilla parishad had expressed anger after sabhadhipati Mosharof Hossein allegedly recommended unemployed yout-hs for contractual jobs at government offices keeping karmadhakshyas of the departments in the dark.Hossein, however, said: “I have already formed a cell to monitor complaints about cut money against any represe-ntative of the panchayat system in Murshidabad. There is no room to accuse me.”
Friday’s meeting of the zilla parishad finance committee decided to appoint PWD karmadhyaksha Rajib Hossein the committee head. “I am hopeful work will be more transparent and th-ere will be no reason for anyone to be annoyed,’’ he said.
At the meeting, a karmadhakshya said: “Many karmadhakshyas were annoyed as the sabhadhipati was taking decisions himself. For instance, a Rs 70-crore work order of the PWD department was issued in two phases. One was for Rs 18 crore, the other for Rs 52 crore. But the PWD karmadhakshya was unaware about it. Moreover, the sabhadhipati recommend-ed 42 names for appointme-nt in the public health engineering (PHE) department and 14 for contractual jobs in that department. But the PHE karmadhakshya was in the dark about it.’’
At Hooghly’s Pandua, residents of Tinna gram panchayat allegedly attacked Trinamool leader and former Pandua panchayat samiti head Biswajit Mondal’s house and shouted slogans demanding he return the ‘cut money’ he took to enlist them as beneficiaries of the government’s housing scheme. Police arrived and dispersed the crowd.
Hooghly BJP president Subir Nag said: “Not a single Pandua panchayat has its records in order. Our agitation against cut money will continue.” TMC leader Asit Chatterjee said: “ CPM men and disgruntled elements attacked our panchayat me-mber. There are allegations against the agitators, too.”
(With inputs from Falguni Banerjee in Hooghly)